Maksym Urakin, Deputy Director of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency and founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center, has joined the jury of the national SBC Ukraine Awards 2026, dedicated to achievements in sports marketing, communications and the sports business.
As reported by the industry publication SportBusiness.Media on October 15, 2026, the organizers of the awards, Sport&Business Club, announced the names of another 16 experts in sports, business, marketing and media who will evaluate the competition projects.
In total, approximately 150 representatives of the sports industry, entrepreneurship, advertising market, mass media and communications are expected to be involved in the jury of the SBC Ukraine Awards 2026. They will determine the winners in 23 categories.
Among the new jury members, in addition to Maksym Urakin, are Ihor Hryshchenko, Secretary General of the Ukrainian Association of Football; Denys Boyko, former goalkeeper of the Ukrainian national football team; Dmytro Stryzhov, founder and member of the Supervisory Board of the SHERIFF holding company; Pavlo Shylko, General Producer of the YUNA Music Awards; and Anton Lohonovych, Executive Director of SITKOD LLC (BETON).
The jury also includes sports marketer and television presenter Oleksandr Androsov, entrepreneur Stanislav Arutiunian, Dobroznak founder Oleksandr Buzov, SportArena journalist Mykyta Dmytrulin, Linecore web studio founder Maksym Kachan, television presenter Oleksandr Popov and Idealers agency Creative Director Oleh Svyshch.
The panel of experts was supplemented by professor and media expert Diana Faivishenko, OPTIMA University professor Tetiana Kharchuk and DTEK Academy Head of Business Development and Partnerships Tetiana Sherman.
Maksym Urakin holds the academic degree of Candidate of Economic Sciences and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in History. He is the founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center, which specializes in economic research, analysis of international markets, demographic processes and socio-political trends.
The involvement of representatives of the media, economic analysis and business in evaluating sports projects reflects the cross-sectoral nature of the awards. Modern sports marketing encompasses not only the promotion of sports clubs and competitions but also the development of commercial partnerships, attraction of sponsorship investments, digital communications and social initiatives.
As part of the SBC Ukraine Awards 2026, the best sports projects and events, managers, athletes, journalists, bloggers, advertising and PR campaigns, creative solutions, digital platforms, as well as social and charitable initiatives, are to be recognized.
Projects implemented between December 1, 2025, and November 25, 2026, are eligible to participate in the competition. There is no limit on the number of categories for which one participant may apply; however, an individual project may be submitted in a maximum of two categories.
The SBC Ukraine Awards 2026 winners’ announcement ceremony is scheduled for December 2026. The organizers expect more than 400 guests, including athletes, heads of sports federations and clubs, company owners, top managers, marketers and media representatives.
The SBC Ukraine Awards is an industry award in the field of sports marketing organized by Sport&Business Club. Its purpose is to recognize projects and professionals who contribute to the development of Ukraine’s sports industry, the commercialization of sports products, improving the effectiveness of marketing communications and cooperation between sports and business.
Source: SportBusiness.Media, publication dated October 15, 2026.
