On August 11, 2024, an open beach volleyball tournament for the championship among men’s teams from Kharkiv Oblast communities, dedicated to World Youth Day, took place in the village of Babai.
The tournament was prepared, organized, and conducted by the Kharkiv District Volleyball Federation under the leadership of Federation Chairman Mykola Blahovestov, with the support of the Youth Center of Vysochanska Community, headed by Natalia Pakhina.
The organizers took care in advance to ensure that the tournament was held at a high level and that the necessary safety conditions for sports equipment were met to the fullest extent possible.
The following teams participated in the tournament:
- 4 teams from the village of Vysokyi
- 2 teams from the village of Pisochyn
- 1 team from the village of Pokotylivka
- 1 team from the city of Kupiansk
All matches were held with intense competition, vibrancy, and emotion.
The players, especially in the final matches, demonstrated long, spectacular rallies. The atmosphere on the court felt festive, with an uplifting mood among both players and spectators.
The prize places were distributed as follows:
- 1st place – VK Kupiansk
- 2nd place – “Spartak” Vysokyi – 2
- 3rd place – Pisochyn
The winning teams were awarded cups. The players who placed in the top positions received individual medals and diplomas according to their places. All participants in the competition were awarded commemorative diplomas for active participation.
I would like to highlight that two of the best players of the tournament were awarded commemorative cups and diplomas. One player from Kupiansk, Roman Teplyakov, was recognized for his professional qualities: experience, endurance, focus, “vision” of the court, and ability to anticipate the opponent’s moves (a sports term known as “reading the game”). The second best player was Maksym Hulenko, 16 years old. This young participant, together with his partner Bohdan Melenets, fought for 3rd place against a more experienced team from Pisochyn, but lost with a score of 2:1 in sets. During the game, Maksym, despite his young age, showed dynamic and bright play and a strong desire to win.
Special thanks go to the head of the Youth Center, Natalia Pakhina, for her assistance in organizational matters and to the Kharkiv Oblast Center for Physical Health “Sport for All” for providing awards for the competition.
Article prepared by
Volleyball veteran
Coach-organizer
Chief referee of the competition
Volodymyr Shmakov.
With support “Association of Youth Leaders of Ukraine”