Favbet Foundation of Matiukha implements sports initiatives for internally displaced youth and children
The Favbet Foundation of Matiukha implements sports initiatives for youth and children from internally displaced families (photo: press-center)
Andrii Matiukha and the Favbet Foundation, within the framework of the Favbet Kids charitable program, support youth through sports and educational initiatives.
Amid the war, the organization focuses on creating a stable environment for the development of children and teenagers in need of social support. The main focus is on regional initiatives and engaging young people in activities. In particular, Favbet Kids programs are aimed at children of military personnel and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
In April 2025, the PULSE table tennis school in Kyiv, which operates as a social project of the Mariupol Table Tennis Federation, held a series of events to celebrate World Table Tennis Day. The partner of the event was the Favbet Foundation.
The program combined sports and creative activities: children played table tennis on non-standard-shaped tables, created wool balls by hand, decorated rackets, assembled thematic mosaics, and received treats from a field kitchen organized by soldiers of the OUN Volunteer Battalion.
Special interest was sparked by masterclasses from Ukrainian champion Anton Molochko and Vadym Kubov — an Honored Master of Sports of Ukraine and the school’s founder.
The events concluded with an open amateur tournament. The following day, the school hosted athletes with intellectual disabilities as part of the National Special Olympics of Ukraine. Representatives from 11 regions took part. This enabled the implementation of an inclusive approach—creating a safe space for everyone, regardless of physical or cognitive abilities.
On May 3, 2025, the Favbet Foundation partnered in a boxing tournament held in Kyiv at the Youth Sports School No.14. At the same venue, the Open Judo Championship was also taking place.
The Foundation provided award materials for the boxing tournament. The event brought together more than 200 participants: 112 judokas and 102 boxers from the clubs Gong, Kozak, Toros, Nika, SpartaBox, and Boiets.
The tournaments were held under the slogan: "Victory is not everything, everything is the constant desire to win."
Among the guests were representatives of local authorities and the sports infrastructure: Head of the Desnianskyi District State Administration Iryna Alekseenko, Kyiv City Council Deputy Yurii Zubko, Head of the District Department for Youth and Sports Kyrylo Boiko, Director of the Youth Sports School No.14 Liudmyla Novokhatko. The Favbet Foundation was represented by project manager Olha Korol.
The organization of these tournaments is part of the broader Favbet Kids program. Within its framework, the Stronger Together initiative is implemented, targeting children from families of internally displaced persons and military personnel.
The Favbet Foundation supports regular training sessions in sports clubs that are free for participants. These include football, wrestling, boxing, basketball, and combat sambo.
The goal of the initiative is to involve children in systematic sports training that contributes to their physical and psychological development, and fosters discipline, endurance, and mutual respect.
Another area of the Foundation’s work in 2025 is the training of the sports community in the basics of first aid. The project is implemented in partnership with the FAST organization.
The program consists of eight-hour training sessions covering basic pre-medical care skills in critical situations. It targets:
- Olympic athletes;
- coaching staff;
- representatives of the sports infrastructure.
As of spring 2025, more than 200 people have completed the training. According to Andrii Matiukha, more than 1,800 participants are expected to be involved by the end of the year.
