The second stage of the "Battle of Cities"—an international project organized by the Russian Judo Federation and the "Cradle of the Fatherland" charity program, with the support of title sponsor Fonbet—has kicked off in Krasnoyarsk. From September 4 to 6, the "Pyotr Bagration" Legion hosted competitions that determined the first participants for the All-Russian Grand Final and the International Super Final, as well as the teams that will travel abroad to compete in playoff matches.
As a reminder, the "Battle of Cities" features teams of judokas under the age of 18. Following the first stage—which consisted of qualifying tournaments across all federal districts—64 teams were selected to form eight "legions." Each legion comprises the four best local teams and four squads from other federal districts, with the latter assigned to the legions via a draw.
Late last week, the Spartak sports complex in Krasnoyarsk hosted the eight teams that made up the "Pyotr Bagration" legion. Four of these teams qualified as the best in the Siberian Federal District, representing Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk Krai), Irkutsk (Irkutsk Oblast), Chernogorsk (Khakassia), and Barnaul (Altai Krai). A draw determined the other four squads in the Bagration legion: judo teams from Nazran (Ingushetia), Tryokhgorny (Chelyabinsk Oblast), Izhevsk (Udmurtia), and Kerch (Crimea).
The team from Nazran topped Group A following the preliminary round. The athletes from Ingushetia dominated their group rivals by wide margins: they defeated the team from Trekhgorny (13–3) in the first round, the judokas from Chernogorsk (8–0) in the second, and the team from Irkutsk (13–2) in the third. The squad from Chernogorsk advanced to the semifinals in second place, having narrowly defeated the Irkutsk team—who ultimately finished third—in a hard-fought match (13–10). The judokas from Trekhgorny lost all three of their group matches.
The Krasnoyarsk team was unrivaled in Group B. The hosts lost only two bouts to the teams from Barnaul and Izhevsk, while dropping three matches to the judokas from Kerch. The squad from the Altai Krai capital finished second; notably, the match that decided the semifinal berth was incredibly dramatic, with the Barnaul team prevailing over the Izhevsk squad only in a tie-breaking bout (14–13). The Crimean team put up a spirited fight in every match but ultimately lacked the technical skill of their opponents.
The group winners also triumphed in the semifinals. The team from Ingushetia convincingly defeated the squad from Barnaul (13–2), while the team from Krasnoyarsk overcame their opponents from Chernogorsk with a score of 13–6. The decisive match was initially a tight contest, with the teams running neck and neck up to 5–5. However, the judokas from Nazran then won five consecutive bouts, securing a decisive lead. The final score was 13–9. In the match for third place, Chernogorsk defeated Barnaul 13–3.
Thus, following the competition, teams from Nazran and Krasnoyarsk earned the right to compete in the "Battle of Cities – Super Final" international tournament. This event features the top two teams from each "legion," eight international squads invited by the organizers, and eight teams determined through international play-off tournaments. As winners of the "Pyotr Bagration" legion, the athletes from Ingushetia qualified for the All-Russian Grand Final.
The teams that finished third and fourth in Krasnoyarsk will travel abroad for qualifying tournaments. The judokas from Chernogorsk will head to Astana, where they will compete on September 23 for a spot in the international Super Final, while the team from Barnaul will vie for a place in the final "Battle of Cities" tournament on September 30 in Minsk.
It is worth noting that a substantial prize pool is up for grabs in each "legion." For every group-stage victory, a team receives 300,000 rubles, while the losing team in the match receives 150,000. Additionally, semifinal winners earn 600,000 rubles each, and the losers receive 300,000 each. Finally, the gold medalists in the legion gain another 1.2 million rubles, while the silver medalists receive 600,000. The prize for winning the bronze-medal match is 600,000 rubles, with the losers receiving 300,000.
Source: Russian Judo Federation
