The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted in the second reading draft law No. 12233, which officially assigns the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine a key role in the development and implementation of state policy in the field of sports for war veterans. The document amends the Law of Ukraine “On Physical Culture and Sports” and will come into force three months after its official publication.
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The law was developed at the initiative of the Ministry of Veterans in cooperation with the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Youth and Sports. The main goal is to create a unified system for coordinating the development of physical culture and sports for veterans, as well as to recognise sport as an important tool for the psychological and social adaptation of Ukraine’s defenders.
The Ministry of Veterans is empowered to organise national and international sporting events with the participation of veterans, cooperate with relevant NGOs and promote sport as a way to restore health and integrate veterans into civilian life.
The law also provides an official definition of “war veterans’ sport” for the first time. This is a special area that covers the participation of veterans and their families in sports activities for the purpose of health improvement, psychological recovery and social adaptation.
Natalia Kalmykova, Minister of Veterans Affairs, stressed that the adoption of this law is an important step in building a comprehensive veterans’ policy in Ukraine:
“Sport and physical activity should become an integral part of veterans’ dignified return to civilian life. I thank everyone who supported this initiative. More to come!”
To read the text of the law in more detail, please visit the website of the Verkhovna Rada here.
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