Sports federation officers honored for contributions to Ukrainian sports

by Dr. Orest Popovych

NEWARK, N.J. - Several officers of the Ukrainian Sports Federation of the U.S.A. and Canada (USCAK) have been honored with certificates and medals for their contributions to Ukrainian sports in Ukraine and in the diaspora.

Myron Stebelsky, the president of USCAK, received a certificate from Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma, expressing thanks for his "significant personal contribution to the development and strengthening of the Ukrainian state." Messrs. Stebelsky, Omelan Twardowsky (press officer) and Dr. Orest Popovych (chess director) were honored as "builders of Ukraine" with medals from the Prosvita Society.

Messrs. Stebelsky, Twardowsky and Popovych were joined by Alexander Napora (financial secretary) and Roman Pyndus (secretary) in receiving certificates from the Lviv State Institute of Physical Culture, which recognized them for "many years of fruitful work towards the development of the Ukrainian sports and educational movement beyond the borders of Ukraine."

These expressions of recognition and gratitude coincide with the 10th anniversary of USCAK's program of assistance to sports in Ukraine, which began in 1991 with the establishment of the Fund for the Rebirth of Sports in Ukraine," followed by related specialized funds. Thanks to contributions from the Ukrainian community, USCAK has been able to provide over $350,000 in financial assistance to Ukraine's sports federations, Olympic teams and individual stars.

Some of the major expenditures paid for by USCAK were the international membership fees of Ukraine's 38 sports federations, as well as significant contributions towards the financing of Ukraine's teams at the 1994 Winter Olympiad in Lillehammer, Norway, and the 1996 Summer Olympiad in Atlanta.

Over the years, sponsorship has been provided for individual skaters, gymnasts, swimmers and young chess stars, among other representatives of Ukraine. USCAK co-sponsored two international chess tournaments in Lviv, dedicated to the memory of Stepan Popel.

Last year, USCAK established a $10,000 scholarship fund at the Lviv State Institute of Physical Culture.

Aside from financial assistance, also appreciated in Ukraine were the numerous articles by Messrs. Twardowsky and Popovych calling for the Ukrainization of sports in Ukraine, and speaking out in support of the Ukrainian language in general. These articles, published in the diaspora press, were widely reprinted in Ukraine.

Although the flow of contributions from the Ukrainian American community for the support of sports in Ukraine has now dwindled, USCAK executives decided at their recent meeting to contribute $500 to the development of a baseball league in Ukraine. This is a project spearheaded by Basil Tarasko, USCAK's baseball director, who has dedicated his work to developing this American sport in Ukraine. He has been organizing Ukrainian baseball from the grassroots to Ukrainian national teams, which have participated in international competitions.

To help continue financial support of deserving projects in sport, readers may send contributions to USCAK, 680 Sanford Ave., Newark, NJ 07106.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, June 10, 2001, No. 23, Vol. LXIX

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