VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
The tournament included a match between the Russian and Brazilian teams, which ended in a resounding victory for Russian, 5-0. In addition, the evening programme included four matches between the Russians and athletes from the United States and Bulgaria.
Awarding the grand prize to the winning Russian team, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said:
Assembled friends,
First of all I want to thank our guests and friends, the athletes from the United States, Bulgaria and Brazil. Despite their defeat, they are all outstanding, excellent athletes, as well as great and courageous people. Thank you very much for coming here to demonstrate your courage and skill. And of course, I congratulate our athletes, the winners!
When Anatoly Kharlampiev created the martial art of sambo, he based it on the wrestling traditions of peoples of the Soviet Union. And I think that it is these roots that are fuelling our athletes, our fighters. Russia has always valued both wrestling and pugilism. And now I want to share some good news with all sports fans, all fans of martial arts: the 2013 World Martial Arts Games will be held in Russia, in St Petersburg. 120 countries and 2,000 participants will compete in the games. And we will be happy to see our current guests, the athletes we saw here today, represent their countries again in Russia in 2013. But we will still expect our fighters to win.
Thank you very much for today's fights, and see you soon in Russia!
