A press conference of the Ukrainian Football Veterans Association was held in the Kyiv House of Football, where a president and other members of the governing bodies were elected for a four-year term.

By a majority vote, delegates at the conference elected Oleh Sobutsky as head of the UVFA. Andriy Biba became first vice-president, while Myron Markivych, Volodymyr Muntian, Serhiy Nagorniak, Petro Chilbi, Eduard Tsykhmeystruk, Volodymyr Yezersky and Andriy Donets were appointed as vice-presidents.

The updated executive committee includes Oleh Sobutsky, Andriy Biba, Myron Markivych, Volodymyr Muntian, Serhiy Nagorniak, Petro Chilbi, Eduard Tsykhmeystruk, Volodymyr Yezersky, Andriy Donets, Dmytro Shapoval, Oleh Sheleiev, Oleksandr Kosyrin and Vitaliy Samoylov. Eduard Tsykhmeystruk was elected head coach of the national veterans team, while Dmytro Shapoval became executive director of UVFA.

Photo: Dan Balashov

Before the start of the event, a friendly match was held between the national veterans team and the military sports club of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The game, in which stars of Ukrainian football from recent decades faced off against the special forces, ended with a victory for the latter — 4:2!

At the conference, Andriy Shevchenko, president of the Ukrainian Football Association (UFA), was present. In his congratulatory speech, he thanked Oleh Sobutsky and the entire UVFA team for their work, particularly highlighting the scale of the nationwide and worldwide tour of the national team in support of Ukraine's Armed Forces and the organization of all-Ukrainian championships among veterans.

Photo: Dan Balashov

Within the framework of the conference, memorandums on cooperation between UFA and UVFA with the Association of Veterans of Special Operations Forces of Ukraine were signed. Military special forces members were honored guests at the event, so naturally, particular attention was paid to them.

A separate item on the agenda was the awarding of active participants in the veterans' football movement, military personnel and guests with honorary awards. Awards from the Special Operations Forces were presented by acting commander Oleh Nechaiyev, deputy commanders Andriy Matviishen and Oleksandr Sviridenko, while UVFA president Oleh Sobutsky honored individual participants with an order of "For Merit" from the association.