On January 22, the first meeting of the regional executive committee for the preparation and conduct of physical culture and health events and competitions "Side by Side: All-Ukrainian Student Leagues" in the 2025/2026 academic year took place.
Deputy Heads of the Donetsk Regional State Administration Ihor Boiko and Oleksandr Shevchenko called on representatives of higher education institutions to actively join the new sports project and give the youth of Donetsk region, who are currently scattered across Ukraine due to the war, invaluable positive emotions from live communication and competitions on sports grounds.
"Donetsk region already has positive experience participating in the "Side by Side" competitions among students of general secondary education institutions. This project has demonstrated significant interest on the part of schoolchildren, as well as the interest of communities in involving children in sports competitions as widely as possible. Thus, in the 2025/2026 academic year, 253 teams from 137 educational institutions in 38 communities registered to participate in the new season of school leagues from Donetsk region, while last year there were 100 teams from 37 educational institutions in 19 communities. Now we must make a joint effort to ensure that this event becomes a powerful sporting impetus for the region's student youth," emphasized Ihor Boiko.
Oleksandr Shevchenko noted that the Side by Side: All-Ukrainian Student Leagues competition is designed to help students in Donetsk Oblast establish communication and unite in the context of distance learning. According to him, the team sports included in the competition program—futsal, volleyball, basketball, and cheerleading—are an effective incentive for unity, friendly communication, and gaining valuable sports experience.
The head of the regional administration's physical culture and sports department, Volodymyr Mytsyk, and the director of the Donetsk Regional Center for Physical Health of the Population "Sport for All," Serhiy Golovchenko, announced that the competition will take place in four stages: student (within individual higher education institutions), regional (among teams from higher education institutions in the region), interregional (among teams from higher education institutions in four zones formed on a territorial basis, each of which unites seven territories), and national, in which the two best teams from each zone will participate. At the same time, at the regional level, maximum assistance is provided for the spring regional stage and the subsequent participation of teams in competitions at the national level.
Currently, teams from the Donbas State Machine-Building Academy, Donetsk State Technical University, and Donbas State Pedagogical University have already registered to participate in the futsal competition. Mariupol State University and Priazovsky State Technical University have also announced their intentions to form and register teams.
Registration will continue until March 15. Full-time students of higher education institutions are eligible to participate in the All-Ukrainian leagues, with no age restrictions.