Roman Khimiak: “Infrastructure creates opportunities, but it is the specialists who turn them into real results”

Director of the Department of Sports, Youth and Tourism of the Lviv Regional Military Administration Roman Khimiak took part in the VI All-Ukrainian Sports Marketing Conference SBC Summit Ukraine 2026 Lviv. During the panel discussion “Sport as an investment in the future of the Lviv region” he spoke about the region’s approach to developing the sports sector, completed infrastructure projects and challenges that require systemic solutions.

In Khimiak’s view, public administration in sport must above all take people’s needs into account and create conditions that they can actually use.

“If for business marketing means promoting a product and attracting customers, then for public administration it is, above all, understanding people’s needs and creating opportunities they really use,” Roman Khimiak said.

He stressed that the team of the department and of the Lviv Regional State Administration as a whole is working to build a single sports ecosystem in which different areas of sport should complement one another.

“The approach of the team of the Department of Sports, Youth and Tourism of the Lviv Regional State Administration, and of the Lviv Regional State Administration in general, is to build a single sports ecosystem in which children’s, professional, mass and adaptive sport complement one another,” Khimiak explained.

Separately, the department director dwelt on the development of sports infrastructure. According to him, in 2023–2026 nearly a dozen important projects were carried out in the Lviv region. They include sports spaces in hospitals and rehabilitation centres, athletics indoor arenas and a rowing base. He also mentioned the SKIF training complex. According to Khimiak, the head of World Athletics, Sebastian Coe, once gave this arena a high assessment.

“But building is not enough,” the representative of the Lviv Regional Military Administration stressed.

In Mr Khimiak’s opinion, one of the biggest challenges today is the shortage of specialists who will work at the sports facilities that have been created. This is especially true for working with wounded veterans and people with disabilities. To solve this problem, Roman Khimiak believes, systemic solutions are needed at the state level, covering the training, employment and support of such specialists.

“Today one of the biggest challenges is the specialists who will work at these facilities every day. Especially with veterans after injuries and people with disabilities. Systemic solutions are needed here at the state level for the training, employment and support of such specialists,” he stressed.

Another important area, Roman Khimiak said, is drawing children into sport and regular physical activity. According to him, it is in childhood that the habit of an active lifestyle is formed, and it can stay with a person regardless of whether they become a professional athlete.

“And, of course, broad involvement and work with the youngest, because everything starts in childhood. Because that is when what forms is not so much an athlete as a pattern – a lasting habit of physical activity that stays with a person for life. Even if they never become a professional athlete or finish their sports career,” the department director said.

Summing up, Roman Khimiak stressed that the mere existence of sports facilities does not guarantee results. An important role is played by the people who work in this field and help turn the opportunities created into real change.

“Infrastructure creates opportunities. But it is the specialists who turn them into real results,” Roman Khimiak concluded.

He also thanked the organisers of SBC Summit Ukraine 2026 Lviv for the opportunity to share his own experience and to hear the thoughts and ideas of other conference participants.

Sponsors and partners of SBC Summit Ukraine 2026 Lviv

Co-organisers – Mass Sports Agency of Ukraine and Sports Office of the Lviv City Council

Construction partner – system developer RIEL

Business Lounge partner – Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack

Accommodation partner – Kostjukowki Apartments. Sports equipment partner – Kappa x KOKOTASPORTS. Mood partner – PRAVDA brewery. Location partner – Barvy Event Hall

Football partner – educational platform Play Vision. Official partner – Ukrainian Karate Federation. Social partner – Shakhtar Social foundation. Exclusive fitness partner – UNI FORCE.

Media partner – media service MEGOGO, Ukraine’s largest media service, which streams exclusive sport, TV channels, films from leading studios and educational courses.

Water partner – Karpatska Dzherelna. Coffee partner – Sky Coffee. Functional partner – DR WITT. Sweet partner – BISCOTTI.

Production partner – NAZHYVO Production. Grooming partners – Barbers, Medosan and Joko Blend. Official partner – restaurant group “Marymo svoieiu spravoiu”.

Technology partner – BotsBand. Style partner – YARMICH. Technical partner – PROOVE. General radio partner – Lvivska Khvylia.

Hospitality partner – IBIS hotel cluster. Digital partner – ROAS marketing agency Red5. Business partner – business park “Europasazh”.

Social partner – Veterans Institute “Architecture of Resilience” of KNUBA. Sports partner – Ukrainian Padel Federation.

Media partners of Sport&Business Club – Epicentr, Avtoradio, Kyivstar TV and Setanta Sports. Advertising partner – MS Outdoor.

Information partners – the TV channels “Mi – Ukraina” and “Mi – Ukraina+”, Marketer, Tribuna.com, Football Hub, Interfax, the websites Sport.ua, SportArena.com, UA.NEWS and XSPORT, the news portal “Korol Danylo”, the platform “Football 2.0”, “Egoist” and PEREHOVORKA. Fashion partner – Fashion TV

Source: Sport Business Media, https://sportbusiness.media/2026/10/30/roman-himyak-infrastruktura-stvoryuye-mozhlyvosti-ale-same-fahivczi-peretvoryuyut-yih-na-realnyj-rezultat/