HART 2026 has concluded in Lviv Oblast: a sports camp and the All-Ukrainian Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, which brought together over 100 veterans from various regions of Ukraine. This year’s program included an exhibition match in Lviv, a five-day sports camp, and a two-day wheelchair basketball tournament.

The main aim of the project is to support the recovery of veterans with visible and invisible injuries, wounds, or illnesses sustained while defending their homeland through adaptive sport.

It all began on May 2 with an exhibition wheelchair basketball match in Lviv, where veterans and supporters alike had the opportunity to take part. Among those who gave it a shot were Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, blogger Maria Pankiv, and Lviv comedians Vadym Dzyunko, Oleh Luzanov, and Bohdan Vakhnych.

For newcomers, the first step towards wheelchair basketball competitions is a five-day sports camp. Thirty-eight players joined the camp, and for most, this was their first time playing wheelchair basketball.

The camp’s goal is to teach newcomers how to play, prepare them for competition, and, at the same time, create a space for recovery through other sports, as well as sessions with physiotherapists, rehabilitation specialists, and psychologists.

The rules of wheelchair basketball are generally not very different from those of traditional basketball, but learning to dribble the ball while maneuvering the wheelchair takes practice.

“The most unusual thing is having to move around in a wheelchair,” says Volodymyr from the Sumy region. “After all, you have to perform technical moves and maneuver skillfully at the same time.”

Volodymyr has been involved in adaptive sports — specifically sitting volleyball — for over a year, but this is his first experience with wheelchair basketball.

According to the coaches, you can grasp the basic principles of the game during the first session, and then you just need to work on your technique.

“We try to structure our training sessions so that they progress from the simplest exercises to the most complex. At the end, we play a game where participants can combine all the elements they’ve practiced, add some tactics, and show what they’ve learned,” comments Sam, a wheelchair basketball assistant coach who worked with the participants at the camp.

But it wasn’t all about basketball. During the camp, the veterans were able to try their hand at archery, swimming, and indoor rowing. To get to know each other better and enjoy an evening, a boccia tournament was organised after one of the training days. This is a fast-paced game played with a set of balls and is one of the Paralympic sports.

To ensure participants could recover physically and mentally, physiotherapists, massage therapists, rehabilitation specialists, and a psychologist were on hand throughout the camp. Ultimately, adaptive sport is about regaining strength, stamina, and a zest for life.

Overall, a highly enthusiastic team of veterans gathered at the camp. Many participants are already involved in adaptive sports and promote them in their towns and communities. For instance, one participant said that after his injury, he started playing golf and basketball. Another shared that he had started doing sports while still in the hospital; he had long wanted to try archery, so he was delighted to have this opportunity at the camp.

In their free time, participants enjoyed a range of activities, including film screenings, workshops, and a trip to the “Tustan” historical and cultural complex.

The highlight of this stage of HART was the two-day All-Ukrainian wheelchair basketball tournament, held on May 9–10. Experienced players and beginners competed in separate tournament brackets, ensuring a level playing field for all participants.

A special feature of this year’s event was the involvement of the veterans’ families, who provide them with vital support and encouragement. Each participant was able to invite up to two guests to attend the competition. Families and friends could watch the veterans train, try out adaptive sports themselves, and simply spend time together.

The CBA Initiative Centre previously explored the role of adaptive sport through the eyes of the closest circles of veterans in a study “Standing By Their Side: The Impact of Adaptive Sports On Veterans’ Families and Close Ones”.

“Last year, when we first organised a wheelchair basketball competition, we had just 8 teams and 66 participants. Now there are 12 teams of varying levels and almost twice as many participants. This isn’t just a number; it’s over 100 concrete examples of how adaptive sport is becoming a powerful tool in veterans’ recovery,” says Ihor Krytsak, head of the “HART” project at the CBA Initiative Centre.

The final match in the “Pro” bracket was contested by Titans Lviv and Vilni Voiny City (Odesa). The team from Lviv won, while Veterans Basket Dnipro secured third place in this category. The competition also featured the teams Dnipro Chest, Vilni Voiny United (Odesa), and Titanovi (Kyiv).

“Excitement, adrenaline, emotions — that’s what we came here for and what veterans lack in everyday life. Here, injuries and wounds don’t matter, nor does whether you win or lose. The main thing here is the camaraderie and the adrenaline you can feel in the air,” says Ilya, a player from Odessa.

In the “Amateurs” bracket, Hart Vidvahy and Hart Chesti faced off in the final, with Hart Vidvahy emerging victorious. Third place in this bracket went to Hart Dukhu. The competition also included the teams Hart Voli, Hart Polumya, and Hart Mohutnosti.

“I tried wheelchair basketball for the first time — and it’s just “wow.” It’s not just about the excitement of the game but about how we interact and support one another. After an injury, it’s important not to lose yourself and to find your circle of people. This event is all about that. We’ve already agreed with the men that we’ll go to the next competition with the same team. A special thank you for the chance to come with my family. My wife and son drew a poster before the game saying “Dad, you’re the best” — and that really gave me a boost before I went out onto the court. We’re returning to Sumy with gold and incredible emotions,” says veteran Andriy from Sumy.

All participants in the competition were awarded commemorative medals, which were presented by special guests — the children of fallen heroes.

“Following camps like the one held in the Lviv region, veterans show improved socialization and reduced stress levels. Half of those who came to the competition took up adaptive sports for the first time thanks to these camps. And after the event, almost all of them said they plan to keep sports in their lives. Initiatives like this bring people back to life,” says Andriy Trofimov, head of the Western Ukrainian Location of EPAM Ukraine, which served as the event’s general partner.

Feedback from this year’s camp and competition participants confirms that veterans’ sports go far beyond physical activity. It is, first and foremost, a way to recover from injuries, adapt to life after service, and find a community of like-minded people where veterans feel like equals among equals. Such events unite veteran communities from different regions, restore veterans’ confidence in their abilities, and inspire them to take up adaptive sports. 

For veterans who are unsure whether to give wheelchair basketball a shot, this year’s HART participants unanimously advise them to give it a try. And they warn that it might just turn into a new passion.

The event was held under the patronage of the Lviv Regional Military Administration. The organisers were the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, in collaboration with the CBA Initiative Centre, with the support of the MATRA Programme of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine. The general partner of the event was EPAM.