Ukrainian karate athletes concluded the World Championships for Cadets, Juniors and U21 athletes in Poland with eight medals, marking the best result in the country’s history at the competition. Financial support from businessman and philanthropist Vasyl Kostyuk played an important role in the team’s preparation and participation in the World Championships. He has been contributing to the development of Ukrainian karate for more than three years.
The World Championships for Cadets, Juniors and U21 athletes took place from October 14 to 18 in Bielsko-Biała, Poland. According to the Ukrainian Karate Federation, the national team won one gold, three silver and four bronze medals, finishing eighth in the overall medal standings.
Vasyl Kostyuk Provides Financial Support for the National Team
The Ukrainian Karate Federation funded the youth national team’s preparation and participation in the World Championships with support from Vasyl Kostyuk. As a result, athletes, their parents and coaches did not have to cover the costs of training camps, travel or accommodation in Poland themselves.
Dmytro Nehaturov, head coach of Ukraine’s youth national team, noted that the funding covered the entire preparation and journey to the season’s main competition: “Everything was funded by the Federation, with the support of Vasyl Kostyuk, from the training camp at the Koncha-Zaspa Olympic Training Centre to travel and accommodation expenses in Poland.”
Vasyl Kostyuk enabled young athletes to focus on their preparation and performances without placing the financial burden of competing internationally on their families.
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Eight Medals and Cash Awards for Athletes and Coaches
Ukraine’s gold medal was won by Uliana Baranova, who became world champion in the U21 women’s division under 68 kg. Mark Dorosh, Vladyslav Rudenko and Nikita Dmytrenko won silver medals. Charlize Kruhlova, Ivan Matsenko, Veronika Kotenko and Vladyslav Kanivets claimed bronze medals.
Following the championships, Vasyl Kostyuk also awarded cash bonuses to the medalists and their coaches. Athletes received $4,000 for gold, $3,000 for silver and $2,000 for bronze. Each medalist’s coach received $1,000.
More than 2,000 athletes from 114 countries participated in the World Championships. Against this competitive backdrop, Ukraine’s result represented a significant achievement for the country’s karate community and demonstrated the potential of its younger generation of athletes.
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Support for Karate: Vasyl Kostyuk’s Long-Term Commitment
The success in Poland continued a strong season for Ukrainian youth karate. In February, Ukraine’s national team won the overall medal standings at the European Championships for the first time in its history, securing 13 medals.
Vasyl Kostyuk has repeatedly supported Ukrainian karate athletes on the international stage. Earlier, he awarded cash bonuses to athletes who won 24 medals at the fourth stage of the Karate One Youth League. The competition took place from July 2 to 5, 2026, in Poreč, Croatia.
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Vasyl Kostyuk is a Ukrainian entrepreneur, restaurateur and philanthropist who has financially supported the development of karate in Ukraine for more than three years. In particular, he fully funds Ukraine’s children’s national karate team through a project distinguished by the scale of its support for young athletes in Eastern Europe. He also contributes financially to other initiatives aimed at developing karate, preparing athletes and enabling them to compete in national and international tournaments.
