U21 Basketball World Championship for Deaf Athletes
Held in Lublin, Poland, from June 5 to 13, 2026, the U21 Basketball World Championship for athletes with hearing impairments saw both Ukrainian national teams capture gold medals in their respective tournaments. This dual victory marks a standout achievement for Ukraine’s sports community.
Women’s and Men’s National Teams of Ukraine
The Ukrainian women’s team completed the tournament undefeated. In the final, they defeated the United States 75:48. They dominated the first quarter 29:8 and won the third quarter 14:16. The women’s roster included:
- Valeriia Kalmykova
- Anastasiia Kostohlod
- Liubov Lisnichenko
- Oleksandra Semenchuk
- Anna Sivakova
- Kateryna Chernysh
- Viktoriia Shlokova
- Sofiia Shvaika
The Ukrainian men’s team also delivered an impressive performance, securing gold in their bracket. In the men’s final, Ukraine beat the United States 90:88. The men’s squad featured:
- Yaroslav Stryzhak
- Miroslav Tkalenko
- Mykyta Kurchyk
- Ivan Kulikov
- Dmytro Dmytriiev
- Illia Larin
- Ivan Dashivets
- Tymofii Kozachek
- Bohdan Holovin
- Roman Podtiosov
- Maksym Mykhailov
- Andrii Hotvan
Beyond their world title success, the Ukrainian men’s team also competed in qualifiers for the 2027 World Championship. In the fourth round, they lost to Spain 78:64. During that game, Lukashov scored 6 points, Kovliar added 11, and Lypovyi contributed 8. In the third round, Ukraine fell to Spain again, 66:86.
However, the team posted strong results in other qualifying matches. In the second round, they beat Denmark 88:71, and in the first round, they defeated Georgia 92:79. Oleksandr Kovliar was the top scorer against Georgia, recording 31 points in 37 minutes. Oleksandr Lypovyi added 13 points, while Viacheslav Bobrov posted a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds.
Overall, Ukraine’s U21 basketball teams have shown high-level performance on the international stage, earning gold at the World Championship while actively competing in qualifiers for the next global tournament.
These results highlight the growing strength of basketball in Ukraine, particularly among young athletes with hearing impairments. Success at international events not only boosts the country’s sports profile but also inspires the next generation of players. The ongoing World Championship qualifiers offer the Ukrainian team further opportunities to develop and refine their skills against top competition.