Yagudin on the tatami and 42 million roubles in prize money — the “Battle for Moscow” tournament took place in the capital

The competition, like the entire current season in Russian judo, was dedicated to celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Earlier, with the support of the Vybor Silnykh (“Choice of the Strong”) project, the Liga Patriotov (“League of Patriots”) and Liga Zashchitnikov Otechestva (“League of Defenders of the Fatherland”) were launched, within which athletes learn about the heroes of the past and the key events of the war.

“The FDR is always looking for new approaches to organising competitions, experimenting, moving towards something more modern and engaging,” said Iago Abuladze, who seconded the young judokas from his native sports school Fryazino. “I would especially note the patriotic focus of the tournaments: we love our country and defend its honour on international arenas. It is great that this feeling is nurtured from youth.”

Over the course of three days, the best under-18 boys’ teams from the Moscow region competed on the tatami. The strongest were the representatives of Akademiya Pobediteley from Dolgoprudny, who defeated their rivals from the Moscow region club Fryazino in the final. Bronze went to the athletes from UOR “Moskva”.

The high-quality organisation of the Battle for Moscow was highlighted by FONBET’s managing shareholder Valentin Golovanov: “The tournament was held at the highest level, and the bouts were breathtaking. We are happy and proud to have become the general partner of such a large-scale event. Our company has long cooperated with the Russian Judo Federation: together we hold the Continental League, the Russia Judo Tour, and now the Battle for Moscow has been added to our collection. We are confident that many more bright projects await us ahead.”

A distinctive feature of the tournament was an unprecedented prize fund for youth judo – 42 million roubles. Most of the funds went to the medallists, but the remaining five teams that did not make it into the top three also received financial support.

“This time it was the turn to support the young athletes with an unprecedented prize fund,” said FDR President Sergey Soloveychik. “This can play a decisive role: students of the 9th–10th grades are just beginning to make their first important decisions – whether to stay in sport or take another path. At this moment, it is especially important to show that judo can be not only a passion but also a profession that provides an opportunity to support oneself and one’s family, and to thank the coach and the club.”

The organisers also prepared surprises for the participants, TV viewers, and spectators gathered at the International Sambo Centre. Acting as commentator was Olympic bronze medallist Tamerlan Bashaev. The titled athlete spoke positively about the large number of fans in the stands and noted that the atmosphere resembled that of international tournaments.

The honorary guest of the tournament was Olympic figure skating champion and Deputy General Director of FONBET Alexey Yagudin. He conducted the awards ceremony and shared his impressions of the event:

“Sport unites. And now — I, a representative of a winter sport, have found myself among fans of a Japanese martial art. Many have seen the humorous video ‘I had a tactic, and I stuck to it.’ In judo – this is no joke. Here, sport is not only about physics, but also about strategy and a cool head. Lose concentration for just a moment, and victory slips away. Here, you can make your opponent believe you are weak, while at that very moment you are preparing a winning throw. That is the whole beauty of judo.”

Source: Championat