Kiev, December 17, 2015 – Celebrations for the NOC of Ukraine’s 25th anniversary took place yesterday at the Kiev National Academic Operetta Theatre, when for a few hours it was turned into a true Olympic stage by world-class sports stars.

The event was attended by IOC President Thomas Bach and ANOC President Ahmad Al-Fatah Al-Sabah, who both warmly congratulated the NOC for its achievements, and by Olympians from as far back as 1952 to the present day, leaders of the NOCs of other countries, and the country’s sports community.

The celebrations included a concert, and footage of Ukrainian Olympians’ greatest achievements.

In his address, NOC President Sergey Bubka recalled the 122 Olympic awards won by Ukraine, the support provided to athletes and coaches, the transparent relationship between the actors involved, the important sponsors and partners that have allowed the creation of the Olympic House, and the prestigious international award for the creative popularization of sport and Olympic ideas and values that the NOC received in 2013.

Unable to attend due to a board meeting of the EOC EU Office, EOC President Patrick Hickey sent his warmest congratulations to his colleague Sergey Bubka.

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk also sent their congratulations.

President Bach presented the Pierre de Coubertin Award to NOC President Sergey Bubka, recalling the friendship and excellent relations that have existed between the IOC and the NOC of Ukraine for so many years.

The highest awards of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, the NOC Medals, were awarded to Olympic champions Gregory Chrissy, the legendary coach of Rhythmic Gymnastics Albina Deriugina, who launched this sport in Ukraine, and to IOC President Thomas Bach and ANOC President Ahmad Al-Fatah Al-Sabah.

Distinctions were also given to sports figures of 30 countries who have made outstanding contributions to the development and the promotion of the Olympic Movement.

The event ended with the singing of the official anthem of the Olympic Team by Ukrainian champions.

The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine was established on December 22, 1990.
The first president of the NOC of Ukraine was twice Olympic athletics champion Valery Borzov. Olympic pole-vaulting champion and IOC Executive Board member Sergey Bubka has held the post since 2005.