On April 22, at the main building of the Ivan Boberskyi Lviv State University of Physical Culture, Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Matvii Bidnyi and Minister for Sport and Youth Policies of Italy Andrea Abodi signed the Joint Action Plan for 2026–2027 in the fields of youth, sport, and physical activity.
The document is a logical continuation of the Memorandum signed last year in Rome and sets out practical steps to support Ukraine’s sports sector and youth policy during the ongoing war.
“Signing the Joint Action Plan for 2026-2027 is an important step in continuing Ukrainian–Italian partnership in the fields of youth and sport. It is important for us that this partnership is filled with practical content: joint programmes, exchanges, support for sports infrastructure, development of integrity in sport, and new opportunities for young people,” emphasized Matvii Bidnyi.
Key areas of cooperation for the next two years:
- Promotion of mass sport: launch of an educational programme for Ukrainian coaches in cooperation with Italian experts from Sport e Salute.
- Digitalisation of sports infrastructure: joint audit of Ukrainian sports facilities, needs assessment, and professional training for sports managers.
- Sport integrity: development of a joint handbook on ethics and anti-manipulation in sport.
- Youth and sport exchanges: launch of the “Camp Futuro Online” project, combining online learning with preparation for in-person bilateral camps, where sport will serve as a foundation for cultural cooperation among teenagers.
- Youth dialogue: creation of platforms for continuous cooperation between Ukrainian and Italian youth councils.
“Investing in a new Ukraine must start with youth – the present and future of a country determined to rebuild. Youth policy, financial transparency in sport, human resource development, scientific research, and sports infrastructure recovery will be the first concrete steps in implementing the Action Plan,” stated Andrea Abodi.
Distinguished guests, accompanied by the Rector of Ivan Boberskyi Lviv State University of Physical Culture, Prof. Yaroslav Svyshch, toured the university, visited a modern esports classroom, and paid tribute at the Pantheon of Glory of Heroes – graduates and students of the university who gave their lives for Ukraine’s independence.
The ministers also agreed on the development of educational initiatives, including the joint design and implementation of a new educational-professional programme “Sport Psychology”, which will involve experience exchange, engagement of international experts, and integration of modern European approaches to specialist training.
During their visit to Lviv, the ministers inaugurated the cultural and sports center “Casa Italia” – a space where children orphaned by war can find support through movement and creativity.
Matvii Bidnyi and Andrea Abodi also visited the Memorial Complex of Ukrainian Heroes, where they honored the memory of those who died in the Russian–Ukrainian war. Later, they met with players of the Lviv club “Pokrova AMP” and emphasized the importance of developing veteran sport as a key tool for physical and psychological rehabilitation of veterans.
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