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Esports helps Ukrainian war veterans reintegrate, says Denys Davydov, head of Ukraine’s Esport Commission. The program aids both able-bodied and disabled veterans.
Ukrainian veterans will benefit massively from this initiative. (AP Photo)
Esports is aiding Ukrainian war veterans who “often feel out of place” upon their return from the front lines in reintegrating into society, according to the head of Ukraine’s Esport Commission, Denys Davydov.
Denys Davydov, 43, speaks with conviction as he also leads a commission dedicated to developing rehabilitation programmes for veterans through esports.
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated the invasion in February 2022, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been injured. President Volodymyr Zelensky informed US broadcaster NBC in February that the figure was nearing 380,000.
Davydov notes that “rehabilitation is one of the most pressing and painful issues” in Ukraine, and his programme includes both able-bodied and disabled veterans.
“When soldiers return from war or end up in hospitals, they often feel out of place.
“After years spent on the front lines, they lose the socialisation associated with everyday civilian life.
“Sport, and especially esports, can help them reintegrate into society.”
Esports is particularly effective because it “allows competition regardless of obstacles or distances”.
“On one hand, we offer veterans a way to mentally unwind, and on the other, we provide a competitive outlet,” he added.
Davydov, who has amassed a wealth of experience in sports administration primarily in rugby and football, mentioned that the second edition of the Ukrainian Veterans Esports Championship is already deep in the planning phase.
He added that esports, requiring technology and know-how to broadcast the video games to a broader audience at a competitive level, also helps develop careers in roles such as broadcast directors, tournament managers, and commentators.
Perhaps most crucially for a country at war, esports can assist veterans in rebuilding relationships closer to home.
“Veterans start to better understand their children and loved ones, they release built-up aggression, and they begin to feel like part of civilian society again,” he said.
Davydov, who competed in badminton at a high level in Ukraine, believes esports can facilitate the transition back to playing football and rugby again.
“Esports is also especially valuable for veterans who have lost mobility and are undergoing recovery,” he said.
“Plus, esports improves reflexes and cognitive skills, which can eventually help them return to playing football or rugby post-rehabilitation.”
Davydov, who served as an advisor to the Head of the Territorial Defense of Ukraine from 2022 to 2024, takes pride in the fact that his country has been at the forefront of esports evolution.
He champions the idea of more national teams competing, though he points out that the inaugural esports Olympics set for Saudi Arabia in 2027 “exists more on paper than in practice” at the moment.
Ukraine, he said, was among the first countries to propose forming national esports teams and officially recognised the discipline even before the IOC did.
Esports has grown rapidly in Ukraine, with Navi, a leading professional team, based in Kyiv.
Such success has led countries including Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Georgia, Latvia, and Malta to nominate Davydov for the presidency of the European Esports Federation, although he did not secure the position.
He is eager to dispel the myth that esports is for ‘couch potatoes’ and does not promote physical exercise.
“Esports is evolving,” he said. “It now has its own fitness champions, its own MMA fighters who transitioned from CS:GO (the game “Counter Strike: Global Offensive”) to the ring.
“Some have become marathon runners, and so on.”
Davydov argues that sceptics should be silenced by the entourage surrounding the players — they are no longer feeding them junk food and soft drinks.
“In recent years, the esports world has realised that physically fit players perform significantly better than those who are out of shape,” he said.
“Every team now has fitness trainers, mandatory physical routines, psychological support, dieticians, and proper nutrition.”
As an example of the changed mindset, Davydov cites an esports textbook developed in 2022 by the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine that integrates physical training with the development of esports.
“Esports will become even more ‘healthy’ in the future,” he says.
Davydov, though, emphasises that beyond the exercise component, esports enriches players mentally.
“The skills developed through esports, particularly spatial thinking and the ability to visualise future worlds, are extremely valuable.”
With AFP Inputs
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