Putin attends a mixed martial arts event in Sochi, announces the 2013 World Combat Games in St Petersburg.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin spent Friday evening watching the finals of a mixed martial arts competition in Sochi. He shared his VIP box with the top Russian nuclear official, Sergei Kiriyenko, and Krasnodar Region Governor Alexander Tkachev. Himself a martial arts practitioner, Putin watched the event with obvious interest.
Brazilian female dancers warmed up the audience before the fight. Girls wearing thick makeup, shimmering bikinis and feather decorations created a truly carnival-like show in the ring. This was followed by a screening of Putin's appearance at a recent charity event, where he had interpreted the rock n' roll oldie Blueberry Hill. The ceremony's host then announced that Mr Putin, a national sambo and judo champion, was in the audience. The prime minister rose and waved to greet those present.
After all the opening ceremonies, the fights began. Russian sambo fighters faced opponents from the United States, Canada, Bulgaria and Brazil. The Russians did not want to lose face in front of the high-profile martial arts master, so they did their best not to lose even a single round of a fight.
At the end of the competition, Putin complimented all the foreign participants, saying defeat had in no way undermined their athletic excellence and courage. He congratulated the Russian team on their all-out victory. The prime minister noted that sambo is a synthesis of several martial arts developed by the former Soviet Union's various ethnic communities. He said the winners of the Sochi tournament will have another opportunity to distinguish themselves in the 2013 World Combat Games. This event, which will be hosted in St Petersburg, will bring together 2,000 athletes from 120 countries around the world.
"It would be great if our (foreign) participants could represent their countries in Russia in 2013 as well," he said. "We'll be rooting for our fighters, though."
He then handed the champions' cup to the captain of the Russian team.
Putin spent all evening discussing the MMA finals with seasoned practitioners, including the MMA fighter Fyodor Yemelyanenko and the boxer Vladimir Klichko. Jean Claude van Damme, who was also invited to the tournament, could not join them. The Hollywood actor and international martial arts expert was unable to come to Sochi for the MMA finals due to complications with the transportation of his beloved pet dog.
"When Van Damme and his girlfriend made a stopover in Bangkok, their pet dog was not allowed onto the (Sochi-bound) plane with them," explained Renat Laishev, the principal of the Sambo '70 school, which had organised the MMA tournament in Sochi.
Alexei Golenishchev, Anastasia Novikova