Children’s reserve karate team won 13 awards in Sofia
Promoted
Ukraine’s karate reserve team for children competed at the 2026 Sofia Open international tournament in Bulgaria, where it won 13 awards: 5 golds, 4 silvers and 4 bronze. The team was able to participate thanks to the sponsorship of businessman Vasyl Kostyuk, as reported on the official site of the Ukrainian Federation of Karate.
The competition took place on May 9-10 in Sofia and drew more than 2,000 karateka from 16 countries, from young beginners to veterans. Winning a total of 132 medals, Ukraine ended in first place in the team listings, having taken 45 gold, 34 silver and 53 bronze medals.
The Ukrainian children’s reserve team consisted of karateka aged 10-13 from Chernivtsi, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mykolayiv, and Odesa. The team’s head coach is Oleh Yastrebov. The coaching team included Dmytro Kouksenko and Maksym Zrybniev.
A project initiated and funded by Vasyl Kostyuk, the reserve children’s team is making it possible for young Ukrainian karateka to participate in international tournaments, to gain experience, and to advance in a competitive sports environment. This kind of systemic approach has already led commentators to call this project one of the most interesting and promising in European karate.
"We aren’t just putting together a team for a specific competition," says Kostyuk. "We’re setting up a system that makes it possible to grow future champions in Ukraine, In Europe and in the world. It’s especially important to support kids from our provinces: today, they’re living in incredibly challenging circumstances because of the war. For them, sports often become a source of strength, of discipline, and of faith in themselves and their own future."
The next international launch for the reserve team will be the Junior League in Poreč, Croatia, in July. Vasyl Kostyuk’s support will make it possible for the team to participate.
Previously, Ukrainian businessman Vasyl Kostyuk was honored by the Ukrainian Federation of Karate for his contribution to the development and support of young karateka: the Federation awarded him an honorary sandan or third degree blackbelt in karate.
Earlier, UFK president Ivan Dutchak announced that karate in Ukraine had reached new heights thanks to Kostyuk’s philanthropic support.
