About the life of the sports and health complex of UzhNU in a conversation with the director of the department Andrii Kurta
Uzhhorod National University is proud of its students' achievements in many areas, including sports. UzhNU students have the opportunity to develop their athletic skills at one of the best sports and health complexes in the region, located at their home university. Both university-wide and regional, all-Ukrainian competitions and international sports tournaments are regularly held here. The material base allows students to improve their skills in various sports. Andrii Kurta, director of the department, tells us about the life of the UzhNU sports and health complex and how it copes with challenges.
– First of all, please tell us what facilities are included in the sports and recreation complex.
– The UzhNU sports and recreation complex was established as a separate unit in 2015. It includes all sports facilities that are on the university's balance sheet. These are sports halls, a swimming pool, sports grounds on Ivan Franko Street, a sports complex near dormitory No. 4, and other sports complexes near the university and college dormitories.
– What is a typical day like at the complex? Who trains here, and how is time divided between groups?
– The main work of the sports and health complex is concentrated on Franko Street, in the same building as the Faculty of Health and Physical Education of UzhNU. So, most of the students' training takes place here before lunch. We also have university sports improvement groups. This means that any student interested in a particular sport can come to us and sign up for a group, for example, soccer, tennis, basketball, etc. During free time from university classes, we can host sports groups from the city on a commercial basis who wish to train in our sports halls or swimming pool. If it is a long-term cooperation, we sign contracts with the groups for the temporary use of the sports hall; if it is short-term, an application is hosted, which is submitted to the university management for consideration. Especially in winter, our hall is in high demand, with training taking place from morning to night.
– What sports can be practiced at the sports and recreation complex?
– Students mainly play volleyball, handball, mini-football, badminton, basketball, swimming, water polo, and other sports. We are delighted that students are not only training but also achieving great success, participating in various competitions and tournaments, and bringing home medals and cups. This year also saw the revival of the tradition of student sports competitions, which had to be postponed for three years in a row due to the pandemic, distance learning, and the war. Previously, these competitions between faculties were held several times a year.
– The full-scale invasion undoubtedly affected sports life in the country. How did the UzhNU sports and health complex respond to these challenges?
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we were forced to close for three months. At that time, a decision was hosted to set up sleeping places in our sports halls for internally displaced persons who came to Transcarpathia from the hottest spots. Also, since our swimming pool is located above the sports hall, it was decided to suspend its operation for safety reasons. We did not know what to expect from our aggressor, whether there would be explosions in our city.
A few months later, in May 2022, we resumed our work. However, in the winter, we faced another challenge: power outages. Of course, we are very dependent on electricity and cannot provide quality services without power. While certain sports can theoretically be practiced in gyms under lights, the pool could not function at full capacity. First, the pool must be kept at a certain water temperature, and second, the ventilation system in the pool area must be working. The pool plays an important role for us and is always in demand—it is used by students of the Faculty of Health and Physical Education, students from sports improvement groups, and commercial swimming and water polo teams. However, over time, the power cuts stopped or became less frequent. We have become accustomed to the current conditions.
– Can we say that today the sports and health complex is operating at its pre-war level?
– Yes, I think we have restored 95% of our work. Difficult times for sports began with the pandemic and continue to this day. However, competitions and tournaments have now resumed. Several times a year, we host competitions in judo, gymnastics, water polo, sports dancing, mini-football, volleyball, and basketball. These are tournaments of city, regional, and national significance. Recently, we hosted a swimming tournament organized by the Ukrainian Swimming Federation. At the same time, we have carried out a lot of important maintenance work over the past few years. In particular, we have improved the water heating system and done significant work on the ventilation in the hall and the pool.
Undoubtedly, Ukrainians can work today primarily thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Personally, I would like to express my boundless gratitude to the soldiers who bravely stood up to defend their homeland! Glory to Ukraine!
