Sports news, competitions and athletes from Kyiv region and Ukraine
Oleksandr Usyk took fourth place in The Ring's ranking of the best pound-for-pound boxers of the 21st century. Vasyl Lomachenko is eighth, and Floyd Mayweather was ranked first. Usyk's team plans his return in 2026; he vacated the WBO title on 17 November 2025.
Serhiy Lapin, director of the team of WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO champion Oleksandr Usyk, said the boxer will return to the ring in 2026. Manager Egis Klimas is expected to announce details soon. Earlier, Usyk knocked out Dubois and vacated the WBO title.
Yuriy Vernydub has been appointed head coach of Azerbaijani club Neftçi on a one-and-a-half-year contract. The team is currently eighth in the championship, and his debut is scheduled for December 15. Vernydub has managerial experience with Sheriff Tiraspol and Shakhtyor Soligorsk.
Ukraine national team and Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin was placed fifth in the updated CIES Football Observatory ranking of goalkeepers; his market value was estimated at €45.2 million.
At the 2026 World Cup the referee will stop play in the 22nd minute of each half for a three‑minute hydration break. The rule will apply regardless of temperature, country or whether the stadium has a roof, and is intended to simplify match scheduling for broadcasters.
In the 50m freestyle final, Sheremet clocked 20.81 seconds, setting a new Ukrainian senior record and a world junior record. This is Ukraine's first medal in this event at the European Short Course Championships in 11 years.
The International Sambo Federation (FIAS) has opened the possibility for athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under their national flags and with their national anthems at FIAS competitions starting 1 January 2026, following decisions by its executive committee.
In central Kyiv on Khreshchatyk, police detained a local athlete who struck a passerby. The victim sustained a severe traumatic brain injury and a fracture of the temporal bone; the attacker has been formally notified of suspicion.
Nikita Sheremet set a world junior record and simultaneously broke the Ukrainian senior record in the men's 4×50 m freestyle relay at Euro 2025 in Lublin. The team finished fourth, lowering the national time.
European diving champion Sofia Lyskun has been stripped of her place on the national team and all her sporting awards after announcing her move to Russia and acquiring citizenship there. The federation says it will appeal to international bodies.
At the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, organizers received the torch that launches the 63-day relay across Italy ahead of the Games’ opening on February 6. The ceremony was held in a shortened format due to forecasts of heavy rain.
Sofiya Lyskun announced she had obtained a Russian passport and intends to compete for Russia. The athlete said the decision stemmed from dissatisfaction with the training conditions in the Ukrainian national team and mentioned a conflict related to coaching ties.
On December 3, a ceremonial farewell was held at the Valeriy Lobanovskyi Arena for Volodymyr Muntyan, who died on December 1 at the age of 80. The burial took place at Baikove Cemetery; club representatives and well-known footballers attended the event.
Lviv native Karina Ayrapetyan, the sole representative of Ukraine at the 2025 Karate World Championships, took second place in the K30 category (wheelchair kata), losing in the final to Egypt's Fatima Mahmud.
Oracle Red Bull Racing has confirmed the signing of 21‑year‑old Isack Hadjar as its second driver for the 2026 season. He will replace Yuki Tsunoda and join Max Verstappen ahead of major technical changes and the debut of the Red Bull Ford power unit.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport partially overturned a FIS ban and opened the door for Russian and Belarusian skiers to compete at the 2026 Winter Games, provided they do so without national symbols.
Dynamo Kyiv lost at home to UPL outsider SC Poltava in the 14th round — 1:2. It was Ihor Kostiuk’s first official match as acting head coach; the Kyivans suffered their fourth defeat in a row.
The National Olympic Committee has named its November laureates — Pavlo Korostylov won a full set of medals at the World Shooting Championships in Cairo, while Zlatoslava Volosenko took bronze at the Junior European Taekwondo Championships.
At 80, after a long illness, Volodymyr Muntyan died — an outstanding midfielder for Dynamo Kyiv, seven‑time USSR champion, participant in the 1970 World Cup, winner of the Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup, who for many years worked within the ranks of the veterans' organization.
The Ukrainian women's relay team in Östersund finished 15th without penalty loops, while the men's team placed ninth. Single and classic mixed relays are scheduled for Sunday. Vitaliy Mandzyn had an IBU nomination for the 2024/25 season. Olympian Laura Dahlmeier was killed in Pakistan.
Iran has refused to take part in the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington after the United States refused to issue visas to members of its delegation. Iran's Football Federation has appealed to FIFA to resolve the matter; it is unclear whether any exemptions for the event apply.
Iran refused to take part in the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington after the United States denied visas to members of its delegation. The Iranian Football Federation has appealed to FIFA for assistance.
The Congress of European Gymnastics voted to reinstate Russian athletes at the organisation’s tournaments. The decision covers five disciplines and, according to the Russian federation, could pave the way to qualification for the 2028 Olympics.
Oleksandr Shovkovskyi is no longer the head coach of Dynamo Kyiv. Ihor Kostyuk, the U19 coach, has been appointed acting head coach.
Matvii Bidnyi, Minister of Youth and Sports, stressed that the question of Russian and Belarusian athletes' participation in the Winter Olympic Games is not up for discussion right now, as the war continues.