The XI International sports and athletic contest "Officer Starts" commenced at the National Defence University of Ukraine

Today, February 12, theXI International sports and athletic contest "Officer Starts" commenced at the National Defence University of Ukraine. The participants are  teams of the General Staff, the Armed Forces of Ukraine services, the Ukrainian security service  teams and the representatives of foreign countries.

Deputy commander of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, lieutenant-general Rodion Tymoshenko, Head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sports of the Ministry of Defenсe of Ukraine Yuri Finohenov, Director of the Research Institute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine  lieutenant-general Ihor Romanchenko, Advisor to the President of the Ukrainian Football Association Valentyn Latypov, prorector of the National security service academy colonel Victor Makarenko greeted the paticipants on the start of the competition.

Representatives of the military diplomatic corps also joined the grand opening of the competitions: Colonel Michael Weymouth, commander of the ORBITAL training mission as well as the  Deputy Attaché on Defence issues of the Republic of Lithuania lieutenant-colonel Tomasz Matulevicus, Deputy Attaché on Defence issues of the Republic of Poland in Ukraine major Mariusz Sadowski, Coordinator of the US Defence Reform Advisory Commission (in Ukraine), Representative of the US Defence Cooperation Office Major in Ukraine major Michael Bailey and the deputy dean for sport science international affairs of the Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan) Yanai Toshimasa.

This year military athletes will compete for the championship in 7 sports: futsal, swimming, shooting, table tennis, chess, badminton and, for the first time, billiards.

It is gratifying that representatives from 7 foreign countries take part in the XI International Sports Event.  Traditionally, teams of the Armed Forces of Canada, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Poland and the United States of America have joined the sports battles. The UK Armed Forces team and the Japan team made their debut at the university sports arena this year.

- We highly appreciate the active participation of our foreign partners, our friends from other countries in the International Sports Event at the National Defence University of Ukraine. This is undoubtedly a good and friendly example of support for our Armed Forces and our state in a very difficult time of the military aggression of the Russian Federation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Thank you very much for that!  - said Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine lieutenant-general Rodion Tymoshenko.

On the Ukrainian side, athletes participate in competitions within the teams of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, The Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Special Operations Forces, National Defence University of Ukraine, the Central Armed Forces Research Institute of Ukraine, and the National Academy of Security Service of Ukraine.

The "Officer Starts" competitions will run from February 12 to February 14, 2020. Traditionally, the winner will receive a Cup of the Minister of Defence of Ukraine.

We hope that the ІХ International Games will bring moral and emotional satisfaction to each participant, and all sports battles will take place in a brotherly and friendly atmosphere.  After all, as they say: "If you do not play with the best, you will not become better".  Therefore, the competition promises to be really spectacular and fierce, as each team will prove that it is worthy of the highest place on the honor podium.