At the request of employees, table tennis areas were set up at the sports zones of the Support Office and the Distribution Center in Poltava.

Now, the distinctive sound of the ball can always be heard here.
To cultivate Avrora employees' interest in active leisure during work breaks, four table tennis tournaments were organized over the past year.
This not only popularized the game but also took it to a new level and gave players more experience.

During the warm season, ping-pong is played in outdoor sports zones, and in the colder months, tables are moved indoors to the gym.
This allows for almost continuous tournaments, which often last for several months — starting with group matches and finishing with final playoff rounds.

At Avrora, tournaments were held in different formats — both individual and doubles.
In one tournament, players could choose their partners freely, and in another — partners were chosen randomly, which added excitement and intrigue.

The summer table tennis tournament “Ping-Pong Battle” was recently completed.
It was held in two stages:

The first, main stage, where everyone played against everyone;

The second stage, where participants were divided into the Premier League and First League and winners were determined in both.

Premier League:

1. Oleksandr Kozlenko
2. Dmytro Vasko
3. Ihor Zhyla

First League:

1. Oleksandr Dunai
2. Eduard Pliushchyk
3. Yelyzaveta Bershak

Why is table tennis a great way to actively spend your work break?
During a game of table tennis, the whole body is involved — from head to toe.
That’s why this sport has many benefits for both physical and mental health:

• Improves visual concentration
• Strengthens the body, especially joints and the muscles of the back and arms
• Helps lose weight
• Develops balance
• Stimulates brain function
• Improves reflexes

Oleksandr Kozlenko, who participated in all Avrora table tennis tournaments and consistently won or placed in the top, shared his secret to success in this sport:

“My father taught me how to hold a table tennis paddle when I was about 5 or 6 years old.
But I only started playing more seriously in 5th grade, with my PE teacher, who held sports titles in volleyball and table tennis.
He got our whole class hooked on these sports,” said Oleksandr.
“I like table tennis because it combines physical strength, technique, and intelligence.
It’s impossible to achieve high results if even one of these components is missing.”

The next doubles tournament will start in September.
Teams are already preparing to compete at a high level for the title of “best.”

“Placing high in tournaments, especially winning — is the result of persistent training and playing against equal or stronger opponents,” says Oleksandr Kozlenko.
“Sometimes you get lucky and can even win a match that seemed lost.
And the support of friends and colleagues plays a really important role — it gives you confidence.”

“If someone wants to play table tennis but still hesitates — tournaments are created not only to determine winners, but also to make new friends and find new emotions.”