On October 24-25, Poltava hosted the 14th Open greco-roman wrestling tournament for juniors, dedicated to the memory of Hennadiy Uzun – honored worker of physical culture and sports of Ukraine, honored coach of Ukraine, and honorary citizen of Mariupol.
In 2026, the traditional competition brought together about 150 athletes from various parts of Ukraine – the Donetsk, Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Poltava, Sumy and Kharkiv regions, as well as the city of Kyiv.
A particularly moving moment of the event was the tribute to the memory of Hennadiy Uzun and Anton Tkachenko – a graduate of the Donetsk regional specialized professional sports college named S. Bubka, a master of sports of Ukraine, Ukrainian cadet champion, and participant in the European cadet greco-roman wrestling championship. On August 26, 2026, Anton was killed in combat in the Donetsk sector near Kramatorsk while defending Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.
With a moment of silence, the tournament participants and guests honored Anton Tkachenko, as well as all the defenders who gave their lives for the freedom of our country.
The competitors were greeted by: Volodymyr Mytsyk – head of the Department of physical culture and sports of the Donetsk regional state administration, honored worker of physical culture and sports of Ukraine; Viktor Smyrnov – Hero of Ukraine, honored master of sports of Ukraine in paraswimming, multiple World and European champion, and six-time Paralympic champion; Maryna Grynova – Rector of the V. G. Korolenko Poltava national pedagogical university, doctor of pedagogical sciences, professor; Ihor Anushkevych – director of the Donetsk regional specialized professional sports college named S. Bubka, honored worker of physical culture and sports of Ukraine, honored coach of Ukraine; Mykhailo Ivchenko – deputy head of the Mariupol city military administration; Volodymyr Akhbash – colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, defender of Mariupol as part of the “Azov” regiment, a protege of Hennadiy Uzun; Oleksandr Sokolov – director of the regional specialized children’s and youth sports school of the olympic reserve for wrestling; Oleg Yevtushenko – president of the Donetsk oblast greco-roman wrestling federation; Maksym Uzun – director of the G. G. Uzun specialized children’s and youth school of the olympic reserve for greco-roman wrestling, honored coach of Ukraine; Dmytro Kerbut – veteran of the 116th separate territorial defense brigade, 144th battalion; assistant chief for veterans’ policy at the main directorate of the state emergency service of Ukraine in Poltava oblast.
The participation of prominent figures from the sports community, government officials, military personnel and veterans underscored the special significance of the tournament, which combines the preservation of Donetsk oblast’s sporting heritage, support for young wrestlers, and the development of a new generation of athletes.
At the conclusion of the competition, the top young wrestlers were honored with certificates, medals, trophies and gifts.
The Hennadiy Uzun memorial tournament once again brought together representatives from various regions of Ukraine around greco-roman wrestling and continued a long-standing tradition aimed at promoting this sport and building on the achievements of the Donetsk region’s wrestling school.