Lviv holds qualifications for the 2023 Invictus Games

Preparations are underway in Ukraine for the participation of its national team in the Invictus Games that will be held in Dusseldorf, Germany, this fall. Lviv became the capital of the Ukrainian Invictus, as 223 serving defenders of Ukraine and war veterans from the country’s 24 regions competed to qualify for the national team, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy reported on Monday.

The contenders’ jerseys bore a slogan, “Fighters whose will is stronger than their body.”

This year’s qualification was the largest ever, the mayor said. The event lasted two days in four locations in nine sports.

According to Stefan Romaniw, First Vice President of the Ukrainian World Congress, “the UWC the Invictus Games. Our members, the Canadian Congress of Ukrainians and the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organizations, actively supported our contestants when there were competitions in Canada in 2017 and Australia in 2018. This support also continues after the Games in these countries.”

In October 2017 and February 2018, Stefan Romaniw discussed the organization of the Ukrainian national team’s participation in the Invictus Games in Australia with the vice-prime-minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze. The Ukrainian vice-prime minister underlined the successful cooperation with the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada during the first participation of the Ukrainian team in the 2017 Games in Toronto.

“Each participant of the Invincible Games has a unique story,” says Andriy Sadovy. “Their examples inspire, their achievements show that the impossible is possible, and their actions prove to the whole world that no combat injury can break a strong spirit.”

Founded by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the Invictus Games is an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans. The first Invictus Games were held in 2014 in London.

“The Invictus Games use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for wounded, injured and sick Servicemen and women,” the Invictus Games Foundation states.