How Pétanque is Helping Ukraine’s Veterans Build a League of Their Own
On September 19-20, Lviv’s Stryiskyi Park transformed into a full-blown sports arena, with Ukrainian flags snapping overhead, families and coaches packed along the sidelines, and veteran support groups cheering from the edges of 25 specially built gravel lanes. This was the Grand Final of the 2026 All-Ukrainian Veterans Pétanque League: the year’s fourth and decisive tournament, and by far the biggest. 50 veteran teams, including 165 competitors, from 20 cities across Ukraine, came to compete hard and stand shoulder to shoulder with others who understand exactly what they’ve been through.
Organized by our partner NGO Marlog-Caducei, supported by Nova Ukraine, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the Lviv City Council, the tournament drew record crowds, as the trophy was captured by the Lviv team, Nezlamni, Nasha Gryae. Rough translation: Unbreakable. We Play.
It’s easy to smile at that name and move on. But stick around.
From backyard sport to national movement
As recently as 2024, there was just one gravel court in Kovel and two pétanque teams, learning the ropes together at a handful of introductory workshops. Two years later, the All-Ukrainian Veterans Pétanque League, managed by the Ukrainian Pétanque Federation, counts more than 80 teams across 13 regions of Ukraine, with new clubs springing up every season. So much momentum—over a classic French game, where players toss metal balls (boules) as close as they can to a small wooden target (jack).
Why do veterans love this game?
Don’t let the calm pace fool you. Pétanque requires real strategy and delivers thrilling wins. “We’re all military guys, we’re all fighters,” says Petro, a veteran and competitor. “So we’re always up for a good competition.” What makes it stick for veterans is how low the barrier is: no running, no brute strength, just precision and a steady hand. Which means players with very different physical abilities can compete as equals.
And there’s something else happening on these courts. Natalia Popova, who leads the Pétanque For Veterans project, put it best after the Lviv finale: “The biggest victory is to see how veteran pétanque unites and brings back to life veterans from all over Ukraine: how they smile again, how they feel the excitement of the fight, the joy of victory, team support, and brotherhood again. It’s about returning to active life, physical and psychological recovery, communication with people who understand you without unnecessary words.”
Building something that lasts
For Nova Ukraine, the success keeps going even after the tournament ends. That’s because we’re not just supporting one-off pétanque events, we’re helping build something veteran communities can run themselves. This practical model is already taking off: inclusive pétanque courts have gone up in Voznesensk, Lutsk, Kamianske, and Chortkiv with zero funding from us, built instead with local government support and donors mobilized by the veteran organizations themselves. Take Odesa, where the idea for a new court came directly from the local veteran community, who then rolled up their sleeves and helped build it. Nova Ukraine stepped in with our partner Marlog-Caducei to help make this community-led initiative permanent.
This is our EMPOWER pillar at work, supporting programs that help communities recover, while laying the groundwork for a stronger Ukrainian society. “Ukrainians are Ukraine’s most valuable asset,” says Ambassador Erin E. McKee, Nova Ukraine’s CEO. “We invest in veterans, who deservedly have the right to be part of that prosperous, democratic future.”
This trophy is just the beginning
Back in Lviv, the final scene said it all: veterans, families, organizers, an entire community taking pride in something that has become theirs to build, not just something built for them. This is what a self-sustaining movement looks like. And it’s why season two, three, and four are already taking shape.
