Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb today announced that Northwest Indiana will be hosting Ukrainian Olympic athletes and Hammond Central High School will serve as their training site. Holcomb says the state, Indiana Sports Corp and South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority collaborated to relocate the men’s Ukrainian Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Team to the Hoosier state as their training location this summer. The team travels to Hammond today, and as part of their three-week stay they’ll will have joint training sessions and meetings with local wrestlers. The wrestlers will use the state-of-the-art high school facility which opened in 2021, which includes a weight room, track, football field, gymnasium, and pool.
The South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority (SSCVA) is handling local logistics for the team and plans to provide several offsite experiences, including a welcome reception, throughout the duration of their time in Indiana. “Northwest Indiana and the SSCVA are honored to be hosting the Ukrainian Olympic athletes,” said David Uran, President and CEO of the SSCVA. “This is a fantastic opportunity for the region to extend our Hoosier hospitality while we assist these athletes to reach their Olympic dreams.”
“The School City of Hammond is excited to welcome the Ukrainian Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Team to train and utilize the state-of-the-art athletic facilities at Hammond Central High School,” stated Scott Miller, Hammond Schools Superintendent. “The opportunity to host world-class athletes and have them work alongside our student athletes is incredible and we look forward to their arrival.”
The collaborative support stemmed from Governor Holcomb’s and Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers’ meeting in March with the Ambassador of Ukraine at the Ukrainian embassy in Washington just two weeks after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, and Holcomb committed to do anything Hoosiers can to assist during their time of need. “Indiana Sports Corp is proud to partner with the State of Indiana and the SSCVA to provide a training location for the Ukrainian Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Team,” said Ryan Vaughn, Indiana Sports Corp President. “Indiana offers premier sports facilities across the state, and we are grateful our Team Indiana partner SSCVA raised their hand to take on this opportunity.”
The Ukrainian Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Team has a history of success at the Olympic Summer Games. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Ukrainian Greco-Roman Wrestling Team ranked third, wrestlers garnered one gold medal in the 87 kg weight category, a silver medal in the 67 kg weight category and took 5th place in the 60 kg weight category.
The Governor’s office says travel and arrangements for the athletes and their coaches were made possible by a grant provided to the Indiana Sports Corp from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. Indiana Sports Corp is a non-profit sports organization founded in 1979 as the nation’s first sports commission.
