2000 Ukrainian Diaspora Olympiad slated for July in Philadelphia area (01/23/00)

2000 Ukrainian Diaspora Olympiad slated for July in Philadelphia area

by Stephen Vitvitsky

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - Twelve years ago the Ukrainian diaspora witnessed an event that rivaled Plast's "ziizdy," SUM's "zdvyhy" and Soyuzivka's Labor Day festivities in both magnitude and achievement. Sanctioned by the Ukrainian Sports Federation of the United States and Canada (also know as USCAK), the 1988 Ukrainian Diaspora Olympiad was an incredible success, surpassing even the expectations of its organizers with 300 athletes competing and more than four times as many people socializing.

"We had planned for 600 people to come to the big dance," Chairman Ihor Chyzowych remembered. "We ended up hosting 1,300 people at that dance! There were huge lines that stretched out beyond the entrance to the hall, and from 8:30 to 10 at night we had an unrelenting inflow of people. Needless to say, we were totally surprised by and delighted with the turnout!"

Both sporting and recreational events of the 2000 Olympiad, scheduled to begin on Saturday, July 1, and end on Tuesday, July 4, will be held at the Philadelphia area Tryzubivka - the resort of the Ukrainian American Sports Center - and at a nearby high school.

Although the 2000 ceremonies will be modeled on those of the 1988 Olympiad, the committee has expanded the sporting events in two ways. First, the number of featured sports has increased to seven: soccer, volleyball (indoor for older competitors and outdoor for the younger ones), swimming, tennis, golf, chess and track. Organizers are also hoping to arrange a smaller scale softball playoff, as well as a non-traditional outdoor co-ed volleyball tournament on Sunday, and are considering the possibility of a rock climbing event.

Second, the committee has decided to broaden its age limits to accommodate the youngest athletes, starting at age 8 for soccer, track and swimming.

The opening ceremonies, which are to be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, will strongly resemble those of the 1988 Olympiad due to the successful performance of the latter. Following Saturday's sporting events, a banquet will be held at 7 p.m. at Tryzubivka, which is to host the Olympiad's social functions, such as the dance and the concert groups.

While the big dance, which will feature non-stop music from two bands, including Fata Morgana, is scheduled for Sunday night, those who will be looking for a more peaceful alternative can check out the concert series. A different performance will be offered each of the three nights, with a special appearance by dancemaster Roma Pryma Bohachevsky's dance troupe. Food and refreshments will be available throughout the affair.

The purpose of the Olympiad, according to Director of Facilities Orest Lesiuk, is to "give Ukrainian American youth the opportunity to participate in a sports competition with other Ukrainians and to socialize among themselves. The 1988 Olympiad clearly displayed the necessity for another such occasion, and with the advent of the new millennium, as well as Tryzubivka's 50th anniversary, we decided now would be the best time."

The organizers anticipate a diaspora reaction similar to the one it had to the last Olympiad. They expect that every youth organization will participate, as the committee has already taken care of possible scheduling conflicts by discussing the best time for such an occurrence with the respective groups. Toronto Ukraina, Newark Sitch, Philadelphia Tryzub and Yonkers Krylati have already submitted their rosters for the various competitions. Olympiad organizers mentioned that more definitive numbers would be available in April.

The committee members pointed out the existence of an "independent" subgroup. They said they realize that not all athletes are affiliated with specific organizations, and thus wish to accommodate those competitors. The only requirement for Olympiad participants is that they must be of Ukrainian descent.

Another difference between this year's and the 1988 Olympiad is the former's international aspects. There is a strong likelihood that a team of golfers from Australia, as well as soccer teams from the United Kingdom and France will participate in the 2000 Olympiad. There is also a possibility that a Lviv-based soccer team will play an exhibition match against a team of all-stars to be chosen from among the competing diaspora teams.

Admission to the Olympiad can be purchased either by day ticket, or by all-events pass. The latter allows one access to all sports and social events from the opening ceremonies to the closing ceremonies.

The organizers of the 2000 Ukrainian Diaspora Olympiad made it clear that everyone is welcome - whether as a competitor or a spectator. And, judging from the absolute success of the 1988 Olympiad, this is definitely not something to miss. So, mark these dates on your calendar: July 1-4.

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