Sushkevych on Ukraine's success at Deaflympics: We ensure systematic approach to sports for people with disabilities
Valeriy Sushkevych, President of the National Committee for Sports for the Disabled of Ukraine, notes that nearly 60% of the members of the Ukrainian National Deaflympic Team are athletes who participated in the "Believe in Yourself" Children's and Youth Spartakiad.
"I'm often asked this question in countries all over the world. I'll answer this: in September of this year, the Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine received a letter from the President of the European Paralympic Committee, who wrote: 'Mr. Minister, Ukraine has created the best system of physical education and sports for people with disabilities in Europe and the world, which can serve as a model for any country.' This system truly works; it has a high degree of integration and communication with government institutions, not only at the national level but also in the regions and cities," Sushkevych said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine, responding to a question about the success of the Ukrainian Deaflympic team.
He said that 59% of the members of the Ukrainian national Deaflympic team are athletes who participated in the "Believe in Yourself" children's and youth Spartakiad.
"We have ensured a systematic approach to sports for people with disabilities. We certainly have a strong team of people with extensive experience, knowledge, and skills to work within this system," added the National Committee President.
He also noted that the national team consists of representatives from 22 regions.
"The country is under bombardment, anxiety, destruction, and danger, yet we still have a team from 22 regions of Ukraine. It's interesting that two athletes, one from the United States and one from Australia, who were evacuated there during the war, haven't left the system and continue to compete for Ukraine. We also have a certain number of people in European countries," Sushkevych added.
As reported, Ukraine won the medal count at the 2025 Summer Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan. The Ukrainian team won 100 medals, including 32 gold, 39 silver, and 29 bronze, across 13 sports. This result is Ukraine's second-best achievement in the history of the Deaflympics, after 138 medals won in 2021.
