On November 18-19, the national squash competition “Ukrainian Squash Cup 2023” took place on the courts of the capital’s Sport Life fitness club in Teremky.
Representatives from Kharkiv, Dnipro, Poltava, Odesa, Kherson, and Lviv came to Kyiv. In total, more than 130 athletes took part in the competition, which is an absolute record for the number of players among national squash tournaments held under the auspices of the Ukrainian Squash Federation. The tournament was attended by 16 women, 74 men and 42 juniors.
Anastasia Kostiukova and Ruslan Sorochinsky became the champions in the adult categories, defeating Anastasia Krykun and Nikita Panov in the final matches.
List of winners of the Ukrainian Squash Cup 2023 tournament:
Children under 9 years old:
1st place Tomenchuk David
2nd place Kostiukov Artem
3rd place Zakharchenko Danylo
Girls under 11 years old:
1st place Orlenko Alexandra
2nd place Krasnokutska Daria
3rd place Lysenko Polina
Boys under 11 years old:
1st place Hutsaylyuk Andriy
2nd place Schneider Artem
3rd place Matyukhov Yegor
Girls under 13 years old:
1st place Syvoplias Victoria
2nd place Daria Gerya
3rd place Kukushkina Maria
Boys under 13 years old
1st place Doroshenko Gleb
2nd place Tomenchuk Mykyta
3rd place Tymoshchuk Ivan
Boys under 15 years old:
1 place Shcherbakov Yegor
2nd place Roman Shkarupylo
3rd place Klymenko Mykyta
WOMEN:
1st place Kostyukova Anastasia
2nd place Krykun Anastasia
3rd place Vlasenko Daria
MEN:
1st place Sorochinsky Ruslan
2nd place Panov Nikita
3rd place Petrovych Ruslan
The honorary guests of the Ukrainian Squash Cup were acting Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Matviy Bidnyi, world judo champion, chairman of the NOC of Ukraine’s athletes commission Georgiy Zantaraya, two-time Olympic champion in canoeing Yuriy Cheban, two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers Stanislav Medvedenko.
The main organizer of the tournament is the NGO Squash Federation of Ukraine, the main fitness partner of the event is the Sport Life fitness club network, and the main media partner of the tournament is Interfax-Ukraine, Experts club analytical center, prize partners – REIMA, TECNIFIBRE and EYE, medical partner of the tournament – ADONIS clinic network, tournament water – KRAINA, tournament hotel – FAVOR, awarding partner – SHEF restaurant. Thermopab and Lukashuk Dental Clinic were also partners of the tournament.
ADONIS, EXPERTS CLUB, kostiukova, sorochinsky, squash cup, SQUASH FEDERATION
The development and popularization of squash in Ukraine is promising, CEO of the World Squash Federation Andrew Shelley has stated.
“There are good squash courts in Ukraine and new ones are coming in. Your young squash federation is doing a good job, therefore you have everything. Squash in Ukraine is moving forward,” he said during his visit to Ukraine.
Shelley noted squash does not require large financial resources.
“This is a great sport, and the more people try to play it, the more will be involved,” he said.
Multiple world squash champion Ramy Ashour and six-time European champion Camille Serme visited Ukraine within the worldwide program for squash development “Ambassador WSF 2018” on June 23-24.
Coach and referee seminars, demonstration matches, thematic conferences, the sparring and training of the Ukrainian men’s and women’s squash teams with the leading world players, trainings for children from the children’s squash academy were held in Kyiv within the framework of this program.
“More than 20 million people play squash all over the world. In Ukraine their number amounts to thousands. We have room for improvement, and we really are developing. Squash is appreciated as an entertaining sport and an excellent relaxation for amateur sportsmen. We are grateful to the World Squash Federation for including our country in the program of squash popularization and teamwork,” the program coordinator, Vice President of the Ukrainian Squash Federation Maksim Urakin said.
Squash is a sport with a ball and a racket played indoors. The game is conducted by special rackets on a court surrounded by walls from four sides. In 2003 the Forbes magazine recognized squash as one of the most “healthy sports” both in terms of injury rate and the most energy-consuming sport in the world by the number of calories burned. More than 20 million people around the world play squash.
photo by Larisa Okhtienko
