On the tatami of the “Crimea-SPORT” Martial Arts Center, youth teams from the Republic of Crimea, the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, the Zaporozhye Region, and the federal city of Sevastopol came together. Their task was to determine the strongest team that would travel to the federal territory “Sirius” in December to represent the region at the international final.
It is important to note that the “Battle of Cities” uses a new format for Russian judo, allowing athletes to gain maximum competitive experience while offering spectators a full display of the “gentle way.” Team matchups continue until one side secures 13 individual victories. In addition, the organizers removed the “golden score”: if two athletes finished with equal points, the match was declared a draw and each team received one point.
This system made the tournament in Simferopol especially captivating: the intensity was extremely high, and the intrigue lasted until the final bout. In the round-robin tournament, the hosts were the strongest — the Crimean team defeated all opponents, giving up only 12 points in total. Such a dominant performance is a solid foundation ahead of the upcoming final.
“We thank the Russian Judo Federation for launching the project: for us, this was not only the first tournament in Simferopol, but also a great opportunity to refine certain nuances,” said Vladimir Kondratov, Deputy Head of the Regional Development Department of the Russian Judo Federation (for the Republic of Crimea, Sevastopol, and new territories). “The competition format was very well received, though it created a high workload for the athletes — it was an intense day of matches. At the same time, it allowed us to notice new rising talents. The team format is always exciting, and the final meeting was emotional. We can already imagine how thrilling and vibrant the Superfinal in Sirius will be. The kids will not only compete but also visit our Russian Kodokan.”
The matches were heated, and the new rules — including the removal of the golden score — added intrigue and created a distinct flavor. Thanks to the work of an experienced refereeing team, the tournament ran perfectly. Unfortunately, the Kherson Region could not field a team this time: the region is only beginning to develop and managed to send only one referee.
Second place in the final standings went to the team from Sevastopol, while the bronze medals were earned by athletes of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
On September 26, the “Battle of Cities” will continue in Khabarovsk, where the winner and silver medalists will earn tickets to the Superfinal.
The medals of the new tournament will be awarded on the federal territory “Sirius.” Foreign teams will receive so-called wild cards — special invitations from the organizers without the need to pass through qualifying stages.
The Superfinal will last eight days — from December 6 to 13 — and will follow the Olympic knockout format familiar to fans. The battles will unfold in the Russian Kodokan, the Academy of Martial Arts.
Source: Russian Judo Federation
