Why is Bilohorodka betting on a sport that can change the community?
From the outside, everything looks simple and natural: teams, uniforms, rope, referees, starting whistle. Few people stop to think that tug-of-war is one of the oldest sports in human history. Images of similar competitions are found by archaeologists in Ancient Egypt, China, India, and Greece. Thousands of years ago, people pressed their feet into the ground in the same way, testing not only the strength of their hands, but also the ability to act together.
In Ancient Greece, this type of competition was used to train warriors. Later, it became popular in Europe and even entered the Olympic Games program. From 1900 to 1920, athletes competed for Olympic gold specifically in tug-of-war.
Why is the world returning to team sports?
When you watch tug-of-war for the first time, it seems that physical strength decides everything. Whoever is stronger wins. But after a few hours at a championship, you begin to understand: it's not about strength at all, but about trust. About how precisely eight people can act as one whole. How ready they are to listen to each other, endure the load together, and not let go of the rope when it becomes hardest. This is why this sport, whose history spans thousands of years, is experiencing a new birth today. In a world that increasingly faces a crisis of trust and division among people, tug-of-war reminds us of a simple truth: great victories are impossible alone.
The modern world increasingly talks about a crisis of trust. We work remotely and
communicate through messengers. Paradoxically, is it for this very reason that team sports are gaining new significance? Today, tug-of-war is actively developing in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, the Baltic countries, and Asia. The World Federation is working to return the discipline to the Olympic Games program.
In this sport, you cannot hide behind a teammate's back. You cannot win through one leader. If someone lets go of the rope, everyone loses. And perhaps this is exactly why tug-of-war so accurately reflects what the country is going through today.
"Today, Ukraine as one big team holds the rope of victory for its future"
This phrase, spoken during the championship, became the main metaphor of the entire tournament.
The fact that the Ukrainian Championship took place in the Bilohorodska community is also no coincidence. Behind this are years of work, development of sports infrastructure, support for youth initiatives, and a desire to create an environment where people can develop together.
The head of the Youth and Sports Department of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, Andrii Mikhalchuk, came to support the athletes. He noted the high level of tournament organization and the community's potential for hosting all-Ukrainian sporting events. This is evidence that Bilohorodka today is perceived not only as an active community in Kyiv region, but as one of the centers for the development of this sport in Ukraine.
Just a few years ago, Ukrainian tug-of-war was known only among enthusiasts. Today, the situation is changing before our eyes. At the recent World Championship, the Ukrainian national team won medals at the adult level for the first time in the country's history.
"From the World Championship, we took third place among women and second place in the Mixed U-23 category"
For Ukrainian sports, this is a major result. The country is beginning to enter the circle of world leaders in the discipline. An additional detail adds special significance.
"We brought the first medal in Ukraine's history in adult categories. For women, it's third place"
What looked like an amateur story just a few years ago is now transforming into a serious sports movement. When the national federation chooses where to hold the Ukrainian championship, it evaluates not only the sports venue, but also the community. Its ability to organize an event, its infrastructure, its attitude toward sports. The fact that the Ukrainian Championship took place in the Bilohorodska community speaks to a sign of trust. A sign that the community is seen as one of the centers for the development of this sport. For Kyiv region, this is an important signal. Sport is no longer concentrated only in large cities. Strong sports centers are being formed precisely in communities.
An important role in this process is played by Bilohorodska village head Anton Ovsienko, who simultaneously heads the Kyiv regional branch of the Federation of the Strongest Athletes of Ukraine and tug-of-war. For him, this championship is part of a long-term vision for community development through sports, youth, and shared values.
"Such competitions are not just sports. It's about unity, endurance, and character. About the qualities that our Defenders are demonstrating every day on the frontline. When you feel your brother-in-arms beside you, you have no right to give up," says Anton Ovsienko.
And in these words, perhaps, lies the main answer to the question of why the community is betting on such projects. There are people who organize tournaments, and there are people who create circles of trust and build conditions for development. Bilohorodska village head Anton Ovsienko belongs to the second category. In fact, it's about a model of society and people who learn to be responsible not only for themselves, but for children growing up under the care of adults and with trust in people.
Today, Ukrainian athletes are already bringing home World Championship medals, winning awards at the adult level for the first time in the country's history, and confidently asserting themselves on the international stage. The most important thing happens here, in communities, where children see before them examples of people capable of working as a team, trusting each other, and fighting for a common result. This is how sports culture is formed, future champions emerge, and a strong community is born.
Special attention deserves the debut of the "School of Sports" team, which represented the Bilohorodska community. The uniqueness of this team is that it was formed from ordinary residents of the villages of Horenichi and Stoianka.
Although our fellow citizens this time did not make it to the podium, they accomplished the main mission — they worthily represented the community at the national level, competing on equal terms with professional university teams. Their performance was proof that the Bilohorodska community is a unified organism capable of mobilizing for a common goal.
The competition was fierce. Every meter of rope was hard-won and taken seriously. The absolute winner among adults was the "Atlants-1" team from the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. They raised the main championship trophy overhead.
The champions included: Darina Tsymbal, Iryna Kotsyubailo, Alona Petrenko, Viktoriia Yekymovska, Bohdana Domozhyrska, Yurii Pidkalenko, Yurii Pryshchepa, Serhii Kolb, Andrii Belan, and Maksym Koshara.
Silver was won by the "Aviator" team from the Kyiv Aviation Institute.
Bronze went to athletes from the National Academy of Land Forces named after Hetman Petro Sahaidachny. Among juniors, the strongest team was from the Military Institute of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
The rope will be put away after the championship, but there will remain a feeling that great results begin where people have learned to act together. The championship in Bilohorodka once again reminded us: "we are strong when we are together". Whether on the battlefield or on the sports arena, Ukrainians know how to "press their feet into the ground" and not give up what is theirs.
