The Sverdlovsk team got off to a flying start at the Ural Federal District Championships in Verkhnyaya Pyshma

The first day of the Ural Federal District competitions and Championship in Verkhnyaya Pyshma was marked by a triumphant performance of the Sverdlovsk Region sambo wrestlers. The mat of the UMMC Sports Arena appeared to be winning for almost 40 of our sportsmen and sportswomen who were competing at the district level for permits to Russian championships of the next year. There was a tournament among 16-18 y.o. boys as well as junior competition (18-20 y.o.) in combat sambo.

The competitive part began with the opening ceremony, during which the boys and girls were congratulated by Konstantin Deyev, Deputy Minister of Physical Culture and Sports of the Sverdlovsk Region, Shukhrat Makhmudov, President of Sambo Federation of the Sverdlovsk Region, and Vladislav Gavrilov, Head coach of Russian youth sambo team, who wished them a victory and a bright and meaningful battle.

Shukhrat Makhmudov particularly stressed the importance of the fact that today, under such complicated circumstances, young sambo wrestlers have a chance to take part in tournaments, prove their strength, resilience and talent and improve their skills.

Vladislav Gavrilov, in his turn, thanked the organizers for creating excellent conditions for the competitions, which would help athletes to reveal their best qualities.

Boys and girls aged 16-18 competed for the right to go to the championship of Russia in Balakovo (the Saratov Region) next February. For this, it was necessary to get in the top three at the competition of the Ural Federal District.

In youth contest, there was a clear hegemony of the Sverdlovsk Region sambo wrestlers, into which representatives of KHMAO and the Chelyabinsk Region interfered occasionally. As a result, our boys got 16 lucky tickets to the next year Russian Championship out of 27 possible. And seven of them also won champion titles at the Ural Federal District Championship.

Girls' tournament was held with no less obvious advantage of the Sverdlovsk Region athletes, most of them from Ekaterinburg. Our girls won 17 out of 27 tickets to the Russian Championship of the next year, eight of them going there from the first place. Sambo wrestlers from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region were also the main rivals for the host girls.

On this day, 18-20 year old juniors in combat sambo fought for their medals and an opportunity to compete at the national youth championship in Kazan in February. Their task was even more difficult: only the finalists could qualify for the championship in the capital of Tatarstan. And again, the Sverdlovsk Region boys did not disappoint. Five of them made it to the Ural Federal District team.

The highlights of the tournament, see our PHOTOGALLERY