On October 29, at the initiative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, an online meeting was held on the organization and implementation of the new season of the physical culture and health project “Side by Side All-Ukrainian School Leagues.” The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, regional state (military) administrations, sports federations, and regional project coordinators.
Representing Donetsk Oblast at the meeting were Deputy Head of the Regional State Administration Ihor Boiko, Head of the Regional State Administration's Department of Physical Culture and Sports Volodymyr Mytsyk, Deputy Director of the Regional State Administration's Department of Education and Science Olena Svidrak, and Director of the Donetsk Oblast Center for Physical Health of the Population “Sport for All” Serhii Holovchenko.
Matvii Bidnyi, head of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, addressed the meeting participants: "We must do everything to ensure that every school and every community feels involved in this great common cause. And it is very gratifying that every season the Side by Side competition brings together children from different regions, including boys and girls from frontline areas, giving them a real celebration of sport."
In order to allow everyone who wants to register for the competition, the organizers of Side by Side have announced an extension of the registration period. Teams still have the opportunity to register on the website scl.gov.ua until November 7, and the data of all participants, including reserves, must be submitted by November 22.
As of now, 194 teams from 107 educational institutions in the Donetsk region have already registered to participate in the 2025/2026 season of the Side by Side All-Ukrainian School Leagues competition, and the registration process is still ongoing. Representatives of such territorial communities as Avdiivka, Andriivka, Bakhmut, Bilozerska, Velykonovosilkovska, Vuhledarska, Dobropilska, Druzhkivka, Zvanivska, Illinivska, Kostyantynivska, Kramatorska, Kryvyi Rih, Kurakhivska, Lyman, Mangush, Mariupol, Maryinka, Mykolaiv, Myrnohrad, Novohrodivka, Novodonetsk, Oleksandrivka, Ocheretine, Pokrovsk, Sviatohirsk, Sloviansk, Soledar, Siversk, Selidivka, Staromlynivka, Toretsk, Udachna, and Cherkasy.
Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Andriy Vitrenko noted: “We can overcome all challenges together. Side by side should show children that sport is joy, friendship, and development.”
Serhiy Tymofeyev, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, assured: “We are close to every region and always ready to help. Ukrainian school sports are developing despite all the challenges of our time.”
Separately, the competition organizers plan to consider the possibility of online participation in the all-Ukrainian event for children who, due to the war, are forced to remain in temporarily occupied territories or have left the country. Such a proposal has already been received from the Ukrainian Chess Federation and has been supported by sports and education activists in Donetsk Oblast.
The Side by Side All-Ukrainian School Leagues project was launched in 2023 on the initiative of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to promote school sports, team spirit, and unity among children and young people. In the 2025-2026 academic year, competitions will be held in 12 sports: basketball, volleyball, mass football, orienteering, cheerleading, rugby 5s, handball, athletics, chess, 3x3 basketball, biathlon, and table tennis. Five stages – school, territorial, district, regional, and national – are to be held from September 2025 to June 2026.