On July 5–6, 2025, Kyiv hosted the National Sitting Volleyball Championship for veterans and active service members. The event brought together 115 participants and hundreds of spectators. It was organized by the team of the CBA Initiatives Center in partnership with the Ministry for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, with support from Ciklum.

This was the second nationwide adaptive sports competition organized by the CBA Initiatives Center in partnership with the Ministry for Veterans Affairs. The first event was a wheelchair basketball championship held on May 10–11 in Kyiv, which had nearly half the number of participants. Over time, adaptive sports are becoming increasingly visible and accessible, which is precisely the goal of the CBA Initiatives Center team. Adaptive sports are not just about physical activity—they also provide opportunities to be part of a community and receive support from those with shared experiences, and beyond. This time, players from Kyiv, Odesa, Cherkasy, Mykolaiv, and other cities competed on the court. Some of them tried sitting volleyball for the very first time just five days before the championship at a free sports camp* organized by the project team.

After two days of competition, the team “Strength of Defenders” (Kyiv) took first place. Second place went to MSC Dnipro (Cherkasy), and third to the “Titans” (Vinnytsia). Match replays are available on the Megogo Sport platform.

Ihor Krytsak, Senior Specialist of the Veterans Department at the CBA Initiatives Center, addressed the participants:

"We are doing everything possible to make veteran sports more widespread and popular. And, let’s be honest, there is plenty to watch. I hope you take the mood and emotions you experienced here back home and share with your comrades the importance of adaptive sports and its impact on health."

Stanislav Kovalkov, a player from “Strength of Defenders”, said:

"I played volleyball for 20 years. After my injury, sitting volleyball allowed me to return to the sport. And that feels amazing. I am grateful to all the organizers; the event was held at the highest level. I think some European sports federations could take notes."