Football, Doping and War: Key Debates at the 1st Sports Law Forum

Football, Doping and War: Key Debates at the 1st Sports Law Forum

On 18 September, Kyiv will become the main meeting point for lawyers and sports officials — the First Sports Law Forum will take place. 

The event is organized by the Ukrainian Bar Association together with the Ukrainian Association of Football, so there will certainly be plenty of football content 😉

Футбол, допінг і війна: про що говоритимуть на I Форумі зі спортивного права

The opening session promises to be intense: “Sports Law in Ukraine — Knockdown or Knockout?”
War, economic turbulence… Is there still room for the development of sports law? Let’s look for the answers together.

This panel will be moderated by Ganna Gnizdovskaya, Managing Partner at Juris Ferrum Law Firm — attorney-at-law, PhD in Law, Deputy Chair of the Appeals Commission of the National Anti-Doping Center, and a member of the Dispute Resolution Chamber of the Ukrainian Association of Football.
⚡ Fun fact: her PhD thesis focused on professional football — and this expertise will be highly relevant here.

Topics for discussion include:

  • the Tymoshchuk case and sports sanctions 🟥
  • Red Bull, Adderall and WADA: where does an energy drink end and doping begin? 💊
  • conscription deferrals for athletes and wartime challenges⚔️
  • commercialization of sport and new opportunities 💰
  • agents in the football business 🤝
  • the relationship between the state, athletes and federations: guarantees, risks and pitfalls ⚖️

💡 Speakers in the “ring”:
▪️ Ihor Hryshchenko — Secretary General of the Ukrainian Association of Football
▪️ Prof. Maria Beatrice Deli — CAS Anti-Doping Division arbitrator, Partner at DeliSasson (online)
▪️ Serhii Koval — Owner of ProFile Agency, sports manager
▪️ Yurii Maksymenko — Head of the Legal Department, Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine
▪️ Mykhailo Honcharenko — Partner, “Serhii Lysenko and Partners” Law Firm

📅 18 September 2025
📍 House of Football, Kyiv / Zoom
🔗 Registration: https://bit.ly/3GHYy3T