Boxing, judo and kickboxing stars to take part in tournaments at SPIEF Sport Games
Spectacular tournaments featuring Russian national team leaders in boxing, judo, kickboxing and aikido will take place as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Sport Games, with the support of the Roscongress Foundation's sports platform, RC Sport.
Boxers are the first Russian athletes in Olympic sports to return to compete in world championships under the national flag. Vsevolod Shumkov, a bronze medallist at the 2023 World Cup, will be leading the Leningrad boxing team in the Victory Cup. Two quarter-finals of the tournament will take place as part of SPIEF: Leningrad will compete against Sibir, while Tula will face off against Kavkaz. Liga Stavok is the general partner for the Victory Cup. The Russian Boxing Federation will again have a stand at SPIEF 2023.
“The participation of Russian team leaders in major forums is becoming a good tradition. Last year at SPIEF we launched the Victory Cup, and at the Eastern Economic Forum, we held a Russia–Asia match. This year, the Russian Boxing Federation will continue introducing businesses to its activities, and is prepared to share successful examples of holding tournaments in new formats,” stated Tatiana Kirienko, Secretary General of the Russian Boxing Federation.
Inal Tasoev, a silver medallist at the 2023 World Judo Championships, will be representing the Yawara Neva team at the Yawara Challenge tournament. Joining him will be Khasan Khalmurzaev, a 2016 Olympic gold medallist, Yago Abuladze, the 2021 World Champion, and several other esteemed judokas who will proudly represent the leading Russian club. Other participants in the club tournament will be Lokomotiv from Nalchik, Belarus' Stayki and Kazakhstan's Jenys.
“It is important that the Yawara Challenge will again take place in an international format. Stayki and Jenys have proved themselves in the Continental Judo League, although they didn't make the final. But in St. Petersburg they will have the opportunity to face the strongest clubs of Russia,” said Sergey Soloveychik, President of the Russian Judo Federation.
For the first time, SPIEF will host a kickboxing tournament, the SCO Cup. In the main event, Russian kickboxing star Vladislav Tuinov will face the experienced Haofeng Tan from China. Also on the programme of the tournament is a super fight featuring Russian fighting legend Alexander Stetsurenko, whose opponent will be Maxim Spodarenko from Belarus. “I am confident that this outstanding event will encourage people to unite around the values of fair sporting competition and mutual understanding," said Batu Khasikov, Chairman of the Supreme Supervisory Board of the Russian Kickboxing Federation.
In addition, the traditional White Nights 2023 International Aikido Festival will take place as part of SPIEF. Its participants will showcase their training sessions and kenjutsu and jōdō techniques. The Festival aims to promote and develop aikido in Russia through strengthening friendly and cultural ties between cities and clubs in Russia, the CIS and non-CIS countries, improving skills and sharing experience.
