Kyiv hosted the final of the Veterans Games, an all-Ukrainian sports competition organized by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs.

The participants – servicemen and veterans who won the regional stages – competed for the championship in the eSports and CrossFit disciplines.

The event was attended by representatives of ministries and specialized organizations working in the field of veterans’ support and rehabilitation.

Opening the competition, Ruslana Velychko-Tryfoniuk, Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine for European Integration, emotionally and sincerely thanked the defenders of Ukraine.

She also emphasized the importance of such events and suggested that civilians should see what difficulties veterans face and how they overcome them.

The eSports competitions were held in the following games:

• On November 17, Counter-Strike 2 (online throughout Ukraine);
• November 17 FIFA (online throughout Ukraine);
• November 24 – DOTA 2 (online throughout Ukraine).

“We now see that esports has become a very effective means of rehabilitation and socialization, which is very important in the current environment. It is important not to forget about our veterans and look for the most inclusive means,” the event participants noted.

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs is implementing the project as part of the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Space in Ukraine, developed at the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska.

The project’s main goal is to help veterans and servicemen recover physically and mentally and promote sports and a healthy lifestyle.

In total, 190 veterans from all regions of Ukraine took part in the sports competitions. The Veterans Games ended with the All-Ukrainian competition in Kyiv.

In the crossfit category, participants performed adapted exercises that included weightlifting, cardio, and bodyweight exercises.

Depending on their physical state, the veterans were divided into 13 categories, and the winners were determined by the speed of the exercises and the number of repetitions.