- January 29, 2026
- 4:25 pm
- Israel
At the Ukrainian Cultural Center at the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel (Tel Aviv), an official event was held with the participation of Ukrainian athletes and coaches who are in Israel as part of the 32nd training camp of the international project Olympic Dreams.
The meeting on January 21, 2026, was attended by athletes and the coaching staff of the National Team of Ukraine, the project team of Olympic Dreams, camp organizers, as well as the head coach of the Israeli national judo team and co-organizer of the training camp Shani Hershko. The presence of representatives of the Ukrainian diplomatic mission emphasized the public status of the visit and its significance for the partnership relations between Ukraine and Israel in wartime conditions.
With a welcoming speech, Gennady Breskalenko — Deputy Head of the institution, Counselor-Envoy of the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel, congratulated the athletes, wished them new victories, and emphasized that today sports for Ukraine is not only about competitions and medals but also part of the country’s international presence.
In his speech, a key formulation about the role of athletes on the world stage was voiced:
“Today, every athlete is also a diplomat: representing Ukraine on the world stage, you strengthen the voice of our state in the world. The willpower of our athletes is the embodiment of the indomitability of our entire nation. For the Embassy, it is very important to be close to our youth. In these difficult times, supporting young talents is not only a contribution to sports but also an investment in the future of Ukraine.”
The context, due to which international gatherings have become critically important, is described in the message with numbers. As a result of the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, more than 800 sports facilities have been destroyed and damaged, including 21 Olympic and Paralympic bases. In conditions of constant shelling of Ukrainian cities, ensuring the continuity of the training process for Ukrainian athletes remains one of the priority tasks, as regular preparation cycles within the country are often disrupted.
It is for this purpose that the Olympic Dreams project has been conducting international training camps in friendly countries for four consecutive years, creating safe conditions for the preparation of Ukrainian athletes and preserving the Olympic reserve of Ukraine.
The current camp is the 32nd within the project and is held in the 12th country in the world. A symbolic detail is separately noted: the first Olympic Dreams camp in the spring of 2022 was held in Israel — in the first months of the full-scale war. The return of the project to Israel is presented as a continuation of cooperation, which has turned from emergency assistance into a sustainable practice.
The initiator and patron of the project Anatoly Boyko stated that Israel was the first country that in the first months of the full-scale war created conditions for the continuous preparation of Ukrainian athletes in a safe environment.
The initiator and patron of the Olympic Dreams project Anatoly Boyko noted:
“Israel was the first country that in the first months of the full-scale war created conditions for the continuous preparation of Ukrainian athletes in a safe environment. Such support laid the foundation of our sports diplomacy, which has today grown into systematic international cooperation. For us, it is fundamentally important to develop partnerships with countries that joined the project from the first steps and share the common responsibility for the future of Ukrainian sports.”
Official speeches at the event were made by:
Gennady Breskalenko (Embassy of Ukraine in Israel),
Shani Hershko (head coach of the Israeli judo team, co-organizer of the camp),
representatives of the project Alexandra Novikova (CEO Olympic Dreams) and Alexandra Starkova,
as well as project participant, silver medalist of the European Youth Championship Olga Tsymko.
The organizers separately emphasized that in addition to intensive training, a cultural program was provided for the participants. Ukrainian athletes visited iconic memorial and holy places in Israel, which allowed them to get to know the history, cultural heritage, and spiritual traditions of the partner country more deeply. The publication also features the geotag Netanya (Central District).
Special thanks for assistance in organizing the training process and supporting Ukrainian athletes were expressed to the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel, the Olympic Committee of Israel, the Judo Association of Israel, and the Judo Federation of Ukraine. The message emphasizes that the international project Olympic Dreams remains an important element of support for Ukrainian sports in wartime conditions and contributes to the development of sports cooperation between Ukraine and friendly states.
Project contacts (as indicated in the message):
Email: uachildrenfund@gmail.com
Website: maydit.com.ua/olympic_dreams
Facebook: @olympic.dreams.project
Instagram: @olympic_dreams_ua
Maintaining the training process in wartime conditions is not only about results in competitions but also about the long-term resilience of the country, as written by NANovosti — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency.
