win.gg
Win.gg Counter-Strike Ukraine has now recognized esports as an official sport

Ukraine has now recognized esports as an official sport

Olivia Richman
Olivia Richman Published 09/09/2020
Google Preferred Source

Esports is now considered an official sport in Ukraine.

The country’s Commission for the Recognition of Sports of the Ukrainian Ministry for Youth and Sports announced that esports is officially a sport. In the government’s press release, the Ukrainian Esports Federation (UESF) and the Ukrainian Professional Cybersport Association (UPEA) had lobbied for esports to be recognized, with the UESF submitting documents to the Ministry. 

“I am very happy that we can now officially work with esports,” Deputy Minister for Digital Transformation Vitality Lavrov said. 

The USEF had been working with the International Esports Federation (ESF) to get esports recognized as a sport for over a year. It was founded in 2018 to continue the work of the Ukrainian Federation of Cyber Sports (FCSU), founded in 2003. It became inactive in 2017. 

“We cannot ignore this phenomenon because esports is developing very fast all over the world. Audience interest is growing every month as is the involvement of our population,” Ukraine Minister of Youth and Sports Vadym Gutzayt said.

Gutzayt explained that many children are already in front of the computer “most of the time.” By recognizing esports as a sport, young Ukrainians would turn their hobby into an “intellectual competition” instead of an addiction to gaming. 

Ukraine esports

Esports to be considered a sport in Ukraine

After the USEF’s year-long efforts, the Minister of the Cabinet of Ministries of Ukraine, Oleh Nemchinov, met with UPEA’s founder, Alexander Kokhanovskyy and COO Oleh Rybalka. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss esports status as an official sport, as well as Ukrainian’s long-term investment strategies in the esports industry. 

Esports has been continuously growing in Ukraine. Kokhanovskyy himself had founded Natus Vincere, one of the world’s most renowned esports organizations. In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Natus Vincere has a long history of success and is currently ranked 8th in the world. In 2018, the team finished second at the FACEIT Major. In 2019, they came in third at IEM Katowice. This year, Na’Vi became the 2020 IEM Katowice champions. 

Na`Vi is also known for its success in Dota 2, including a championship victory at The International.

Kokhanovskyy also founded DreamTeam, which purchased a hotel in Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv with the goal of turning it into an “esports ready hotel” to continue developing the industry within the city. 

According to Esports Flag, CSGO is the most popular esport in Ukraine. There are 19 esports teams based out of the country, which have combined to accumulate over $2.6 million in prize money. Ukraine also has 46 professional Dota 2 players, including those employed by such organizations as Natus Vincere and HellRaisers. Dota 2 players in Ukraine have won over $8.4 in prize rewards. 

Olivia Richman Olivia Richman
About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

View full profile
Read Also
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Stage 3 Pick’Em Predictions Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Stage 3 Pick’Em Predictions Owen Harsono It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...
Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major Counter-Strike
Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major Owen Harsono It was pretty weird seeing Team Spirit having to start the IEM Cologne Major from Stage 2, but they quickly proved why that was a mistake. With donk shooting on all fronts, the Eastern Europeans speed ran the competition to book their spot in Stage 3. With how they’ve been playing, it’s hard not to wonder whether they can actually win the entire thing. These boys can sometimes be known ...
BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap Counter-Strike
BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap Owen Harsono We’ve just witnessed arguably the worst choke in Counter-Strike Major history, and we’re only on the first stage of the IEM Cologne Major. If you didn’t tune into the Stage 1 matches, here’s what you need to know heading into Stage 2. Many fans tend to underestimate Stage 1 teams for fair reasons, but some survivors in this tournament look extremely promising. Two Eastern European teams, BetBoom Team and B8, ...
Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026? Counter-Strike
Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026? Owen Harsono If you’re looking to play it safe and back one team at the Counter-Strike 2 IEM Cologne 2026 Major, traders prediction markets platforms have a clear frontrunner – it’s Team Vitality. But if it’s not meant to be, there are a few other candidates that could lift the trophy. Here’s what traders on Polymarket and Kalshi think. If you haven’t been watching CS2 this year and are only jumping on ...
The 10 best CS2 players who have never won a Major Counter-Strike
The 10 best CS2 players who have never won a Major Owen Harsono In Counter-Strike, winning a Major immediately puts you into legend status. It’s an achievement that proves you won the game’s biggest trophy. However, there have been some really good players that could never get their hands on the biggest trophy that Counter-Strike esports has to offer. Here is WIN.gg's list of best CS2 players who have never won a Major. ScreaM is one of Counter-Strike's most famous players for one ...
IEM Cologne Major 2026: All the teams, favorites, and outright betting odds Counter-Strike
IEM Cologne Major 2026: All the teams, favorites, and outright betting odds Owen Harsono Mark your calendars, as the IEM Cologne Major kicks off on June 2, 2026. We’re going to see the best teams in the world compete, but which ones are actually favored to take the title? This will be the first time in 10 years that IEM Cologne will return as a Counter-Strike Major, so the stakes this year are much higher than they’ve been in a decade. In this guide, ...
All IEM Cologne winners and rosters in Counter-Strike history Esports Betting
All IEM Cologne winners and rosters in Counter-Strike history Owen Harsono IEM Cologne is one of Counter-Strike’s biggest events, happening every single year. Some seasons, the event is labeled as one of Valve’s two Counter-Strike Majors of the year, but if not, still stands as one of the big events every player chases to win. With the IEM Cologne 2026 Major right around the corner, let’s take a trip down memory lane and check out every single winner of the tournament, ...