---
title: "\"I Respect My Fans\": Vitaliy Lyalka Reveals Current Status of His Career"
description: "Renowned Ukrainian hockey player Vitaliy Lyalka has denied rumors of his retirement, announcing a break from playing and his transition to the NOC Athletes' Commission to support domestic sports."
date: 2026-10-08T04:04:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/vitaliy-lyalka-reveals-career-status
tags: [vitaliy-lyalka, hockey, noc-ukraine, ukrainian-sport, interview]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# "I Respect My Fans": Vitaliy Lyalka Reveals Current Status of His Career

![Vitaliy Lyalka during NOC of Ukraine events](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/08/vitaliy-lyalka-rasskazal-o-statuse-karery/vitaliy-lyalka-rasskazal-o-statuse-karery-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Vitaliy Lyalka has not officially ended his playing career but has taken a break
- The hockey player joined the updated Athletes' Commission of the NOC of Ukraine
- The athlete described the state of Ukrainian sports as an emergency due to the war
- Lyalka intends to use his 15-year experience to develop youth sports

Famous Ukrainian hockey player and national team forward Vitaliy Lyalka has made an important statement regarding his future in professional sports. The athlete officially confirmed that he has not ended his playing career, despite currently taking a pause from on-ice performances. According to the hockey player, he deeply respects his dedicated fans and considers it his duty to speak openly about any changes in his professional status rather than making silent moves.

### New Chapter: Working on the NOC Athletes' Commission

In early September of this year, Vitaliy Lyalka joined the newly updated Athletes' Commission of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. During the NOC General Assembly, he shared details of his new activities, noting that he aims to adapt to an unfamiliar functionary role. With 15 years of professional hockey experience under his belt at the age of 30, the athlete clearly understands the internal problems of the industry and wants to direct his knowledge toward their systemic resolution.

### Emergency State of Ukrainian Sports

Assessing the current realities of domestic sports, Lyalka described the situation in extremely harsh terms, calling it an emergency. In his opinion, preserving sports infrastructure and holding competitions amid a full-scale war is a true miracle held together solely by the enthusiasm of dedicated people. The hockey player emphasized that infrastructure destruction and constant security threats create colossal pressure on young athletes, depriving them of normal conditions for training and dreaming about the future.

### The Importance of Supporting Youth

Vitaliy is convinced that even in the most difficult times, it is necessary to find opportunities for youth development in Ukraine. Sports, in his view, perform a crucial social and psychological function, helping people distract themselves from constant alarms and bombardments. The development of the sports sector is directly linked to the demographic future of the nation, making state support in this direction a critically important task for strengthening the foundation of Ukrainian society.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- ["Уважаю своих болельщиков": Виталий Лялька рассказал о текущем статусе своей карьеры](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/povazhayu-svoyih-vbolivalnikiv-vitaliy-lyalka-1791403358.html) - Первоисточник эксклюзивного интервью и заявления хоккеиста.
- [Виталий Лялька: «По поводу «Адмирала» ничего конкретного пока сказать не могу»](https://www.sports.ru/hockey/1024931927.html) - Подтверждено по источнику sports.ru
- [Лучший хоккеист Украины 2024 года Виталий Лялька: Люблю прогуляться по Троещине, вспомнить детство](https://kp.ua/sport/a703549-luchshij-khokkeist-ukrainy-2024-vitalij-ljalka-ljublju-prohuljatsja-po-troeshchine-vspomnit-detstvo) - Подтверждено по источнику kp.ua

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Has Vitaliy Lyalka retired from professional sports?
**A:** No, the hockey player has not officially retired, but he has taken a temporary break from on-ice performances.

### Q: What new role has Vitaliy Lyalka assumed?
**A:** In September, he joined the updated Athletes' Commission of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine.

### Q: How does the hockey player evaluate the state of sports in Ukraine?
**A:** He described the current state of domestic sports and hockey as an emergency, highlighting massive infrastructure destruction.