Ukrainian government sets task to hit top 20 in Brazilian Olympics

Ukrainian national team athletes as of May 18 had received 197 licenses in 24 sports for the XXXI Summer Olympic Games 2016, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 5-21, 2016, according to a draft priority plan of the government for 2016.


"The quantitative target for 2016 is to receive up to 180 licenses for participation in the XXXI Summer Olympic Games. Ukraine aims to be among the top 20 sporting nations of the world," the document, published on the website of the Cabinet, says.


What is more, the task was set to receive up to 150 licenses and to be among the top 10 countries participating in the XV Summer Paralympic Games on September 7-18. As of May 18, there had been 95 such licenses in 15 sports.


In the Summer Olympic Games in London in 2012, Ukraine took the 14th place in national team rankings. Ukrainian athletes finished with six gold medals, five silver and nine bronze (20 awards in total).


During the ensuing Summer Paralympic Games 2012, the Ukrainian team ranked fourth among all national teams. Ukrainian athletes won 32 gold medals, 24 silver, and 28 bronze (a total of 84 awards).


Among other targets for 2016 is to take part in 600 international competitions in Olympic sports, including 172 world and European championships, and to receive at least 400 awards.


As for non-Olympic sports, a task has been set to participate in 450 international competitions, including 180 world and European championships and to eventually win up to 2,000 awards, as well as to earn 40 licenses to take part in the X World Games for non-Olympic sports next year.


One more objective, according to the draft priority plan, is to win at least one medal in the 42nd World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan, during the first half of September this year.


The Cabinet has set the objective to host at least 35 international sports events involving more than 1,000 people in Ukraine.


The government draft also says that it is necessary to comply with the demands of the World Anti-Doping Agency this year, to make amendments to the law "On Anti-Doping Control in Sport" and to accredit modern anti-doping control laboratories.

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