Ukraine's petanque championship for veterans aged 55+ has kicked off in Irpin, with more than 50 athletes competing — and Irpin's own team fielding the largest contingent.

This was announced by Irpin City Council; the details are set out by Informator Bucha.

The championship was opened by Irpin's first deputy mayor Oleksandr Paschynskyi, who thanked those developing petanque in Ukraine and promoting an active lifestyle among the older generation, noting the sport's growing popularity each year.

The programme includes the individual "tir" discipline with 13 athletes and the team "triplet" format with 42 players across ten squads. Irpin fielded the most teams — six — while competitors also came from Uzhhorod, Poltava, Kharkiv, and Vyshhorod. The community notes that the "Irpin" petanque club operates at Irpin Lyceum No. 3 and unites 26 athletes who train regularly and achieve competitive success.