From May 24 to 27, fierce battles unfolded on the tatami of the Kristall Sports Complex in Saratov within the "Volga Region" division. Young athletes from 16 of the strongest teams demonstrated a supreme level of technical skill, steely resolve, and an unwavering will to win as they vied for advancement to the second stage of the "Battle of Cities" tournament.
Sixteen of the strongest teams participated in the Volga Region qualifying round: Dynamo-Profi (Perm Krai), Sparta Sports School (Ulyanovsk Region), Orenburzhye (Orenburg Region), Olympiysky Specialized Sports School of the Olympic Reserve (Republic of Tatarstan), Batyr Specialized Sports School of the Olympic Reserve (Republic of Tatarstan), Sokol Specialized Sports School of the Olympic Reserve 1 (Saratov Region), Masters (Udmurt Republic), GBU DO SSHOR (Perm Krai), Judo Center (Orenburg Region), Dynamo Ufa (Republic of Bashkortostan), Judo Family Regional Public Organization (Samara Region), Region 58 (Penza Region), Torpedo (Nizhny Novgorod Region), Specialized Sports School of the Olympic Reserve No. 14 (Samara Region), Sokol Specialized Sports School of the Olympic Reserve 2 (Saratov Region), and SC Mordovia (Republic of Mordovia).
Four days in Saratov kept the participants and fans in suspense: the main intrigue was the question of which of the 16 candidates would make it into the coveted “eight” and continue on their way to the Superfinal.
In Group A, judokas from Dynamo-Profi, Sparta Sports School, Orenburzhye, and the Olympiysky Specialized Sports School of the Olympic Reserve competed. The strongest contenders in this subgroup proved to be the representatives of Dynamo-Profi (Perm Krai), who defeated their opponents from Sparta Sports School 13–8, the team from the Orenburg Region 13–7, and the Olympiysky Specialized Sports School (Republic of Tatarstan) 13–4. Advancing to the next round were the judokas from Orenburzhye (Orenburg Region), who prevailed over the Olympiysky Specialized Sports School (13–10) and Sparta Sports School (13–9). Sparta Sports School finished the competition in third place, securing a victory over the team from Kazan with a score of 13–11.
In Group B, the representatives of RSSHOR "Batyr" (Republic of Tatarstan) seized the lead. They secured three decisive victories: over "SSHOR Sokol 1" with a score of 13–4, over "Masters" with 13–3, and they concluded their match against Perm’s "GBU DO SSHOR" with a shutout score of 8–0. Second place in the standings—and a spot in the next stage—was claimed by the judokas from the "Masters" team (Udmurt Republic), who defeated "GBU DO SSHOR" (13–7) and the Saratov-based "Sokol 1" (13–8). The Saratov team, "SSHOR Sokol 1," took third place, narrowly clinching a hard-fought victory over "GBU DO SSHOR" with a score of 13–12.
In Group C, the Judo Center (Orenburg Region) dominated the competition. The Orenburg squad got off to a confident start with a 13–6 victory over Dynamo Ufa, and subsequently gave their opponents from Judo Family and Region 58 no chance, finishing both matches with a shutout score of 8–0. The second spot in the next stage went to the Dynamo Ufa team (Republic of Bashkortostan). The judokas from Dynamo Ufa confidently defeated Region 58 (13–3) and the Judo Family squad (13–6). The Judo Family team finished in third place, having prevailed over Region 58 in their head-to-head matches with a score of 13–8.
In Group D, the home team—SSHOR Sokol 2 (Saratov Region)—emerged victorious. The Saratov squad swept through the bracket undefeated: they shut out SC Mordovia (8:0), defeated Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (13:7), and, in a tense matchup, overcame SSHOR No. 14 by a score of 13:10. The second spot in the standings went to the judokas from Torpedo (Nizhny Novgorod Region). The Nizhny Novgorod team defeated SSHOR No. 14 by a score of 13:9 and shut out SC Mordovia (8:0). SSHOR No. 14 took third place, securing a victory over SC Mordovia with a score of 13:2.
Following a series of thrilling bouts, the following teams advanced to the second qualifying stage: Dynamo-Profi (Perm Krai), Orenburzhye (Orenburg Region), RSSHOR Batyr (Republic of Tatarstan), Masters (Udmurt Republic), Judo Center (Orenburg Region), Dynamo Ufa (Republic of Bashkortostan), SSHOR Sokol 2 (Saratov Region), and Torpedo (Nizhny Novgorod Region).
The battle continues, and even more spectacular ippons and uncompromising clashes lie ahead in the second stage of the "Battle of Cities" tournament.
