The Sixth Annual Football Tournament "Cup of Memory of Hero of Ukraine Andriy Kizil" was held at the Kyiv Military School named after Ivan Bohun, supported by the Ukrainian Football Association.

The tournament, which began in 2018, traditionally brings together young football players from military schools and schools with enhanced military and physical training from various regions of Ukraine to honor the memory of Hero of Ukraine Andriy Kizil, who died defending the independence and territorial integrity of our country.

Photo: Dan Balashov

This year, 11 teams participated in the competition:

• Kyiv Military School Health and Educational Complex named after Ivan Bohun (city of Boyarka);
• Kyiv Professional College with Enhanced Military and Physical Training (Kyiv city);
• Vice Admiral Volodymyr Bezkoian Naval Lyceum (Odessa city);
• Chernivtsi Military-Sport Lyceum (Chernivtsi city);
• National Academy of Land Forces Lyceum named after Pylyp Sahaydachnyy (Lviv city);
• Volyn Regional Lyceum named after Heavenly Hundred Heroes (Lutsk city);
• Pokuttia Military-Sport Lyceum (Nadvirna city);
• Kyiv Military School named after Ivan Bohun (Kyiv city);
• Chernihiv Lyceum with Enhanced Military and Physical Training (Chernihiv city);
• Kryvyi Rih Boarding School with Enhanced Military and Physical Training (Kryvyi Rih city);
• Lviv Lyceum with Enhanced Military and Physical Training named after Heroes of Khotyn (Lviv city).

Photo: Dan Balashov

The tournament winners were:

• 1st place — Lviv Lyceum with Enhanced Military and Physical Training named after Heroes of Khotyn (Lviv city);
• 2nd place — Kryvyi Rih Boarding School with Enhanced Military and Physical Training (Kryvyi Rih city);
• 3rd place — Chernihiv Lyceum with Enhanced Military and Physical Training (Chernihiv city).

In the final, Lvivians defeated the team from Kryvyi Rih in a penalty shootout (5:4) after a goalless draw in regular time. The bronze medals were won by Chernihivites who also won on penalties (2:1) and after a scoreless draw in regular time against Kyiv Military School named after Ivan Bohun.

Photo: Dan Balashov

Individual awards:

• Best goalkeeper — Yurii Domashevets (Lviv Lyceum with Enhanced Military and Physical Training named after Heroes of Khotyn);
• Best defender — Kyrylo Pupov (Kyiv Military School named after Ivan Bohun);
• Best half-back — Maksym Tereshchenko (Chernihiv Lyceum with Enhanced Military and Physical Training);
• Best forward — Roman Chepuryn (Kryvyi Rih Boarding School with Enhanced Military and Physical Training);
• Best player of the tournament — Maksym Khomenchuk (Lviv Lyceum with Enhanced Military and Physical Training named after Heroes of Khotyn).

During the award ceremony, participants were greeted by the General Secretary of the Ukrainian Football Association Igor Gryshchenko, Commander of Kyiv Military School named after Ivan Bohun Colonel Yevgen Kamalov, and Andriy Kizil's widow Oksana with her son Artem.

Photo: Dan Balashov

Photo: Dan Balashov

Igor Gryshchenko presented Kyiv Military School named after Ivan Bohun with a set of new football uniforms and awarded Colonel Yevgen Kamalov the General Secretary of the Ukrainian Football Association "Team Above All" badge. In his speech, Igor Gryshchenko thanked the competition participants, the Armed Forces of Ukraine for defending the country, and emphasized the importance of holding this tournament.

The "Cup of Memory of Hero of Ukraine Andriy Kizil" tournament not only promotes football among young people and enhances their physical training level but is also important for patriotic education. It reminds us of the feat of a Kyiv Military School graduate who gave his life for Ukraine's peaceful future, and fosters in boys a sense of pride in their country and its heroes. Holding such tournaments is evidence that the memory of Andriy Kizil and other fallen defenders of Ukraine will live on in the hearts of future generations.