About Us

Black Sea Hunters Club and Inclusive Hockey

The Story Behind the Initiative

The idea to develop para ice hockey in the Odesa region emerged within the activities of the public organization “Potential for the Future.”
Founded in 2002, the organization has many years of experience in the development of children’s and youth sports.

Over the years, the NGO has actively engaged local communities, schools, sports institutions, and local authorities in sports initiatives, building sustainable partnerships and implementing socially meaningful projects.

Supporting Veterans Through Adaptive Sports

Since 2022, the organization’s primary focus has been supporting Ukrainian war veterans with disabilities resulting from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Special attention is given to adaptive sports, which play a crucial role in:

• psychological recovery of veterans

• social integration

• returning to an active lifestyle

• building a strong and supportive community

Para ice hockey has become one of the key tools in this work.

Why Para Ice Hockey

The choice of hockey as the main adaptive sport was no coincidence.
The head of the organization, Ihor Semenenia, has been a devoted hockey enthusiast for many years. Even at the age of 56, he continues to actively compete and represent the Odesa region in national amateur hockey tournaments.

His personal experience, deep love for hockey, and understanding of the power of team sports became the driving force behind launching para ice hockey in the region.

Formation of the Odesa Region Para Ice Hockey Team

Ihor Semenenia succeeded in bringing together a team of like-minded people who genuinely love hockey and are ready to invest their time, knowledge, and effort into developing para ice hockey in the Odesa region.

The Black Sea Hunters team aims to:

• promote para ice hockey in the region

• create training opportunities for veterans and people with disabilities

• represent the Odesa region at the national level

• become part of Ukraine’s national para ice hockey community

The Future of Para Ice Hockey in Odesa

There is no doubt that these plans will be successfully realized.
Odesa has all the prerequisites to take a достойне and strong place within Ukraine’s para ice hockey community, and the Black Sea Hunters team is set to become a powerful example of a socially significant, inclusive, and inspiring sports project.