More than 300 fighters took part in the martial arts tournament in Mariupol

A martial arts tournament under the auspices of the World Total Kombat Federation, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, is taking place in Mariupol in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). The competition began on June 21.

"It is very pleasant after so many years to hear the Russian national anthem, to see the Russian flag. There will be fights here now, but these are peaceful, sporting fights. I wish us all victory, and that further battles on this earth will be only like this: athletic and hand—to-hand," Vladimir Tyulin, General Director of Izvestia, said at the opening ceremony.

Promoter Vladimir Hryunov organized the tournament, in which more than 300 fighters participate. Kevin Johnson, an ex-contender for the world champion belt, took part in the competition. Hryunov stressed that it was a great honor for him to host the tournament in the liberated city.

"We are here forever. And what we will do here is we bring culture, establish cultural ties, and the children get to know each other. Children become ready for any challenge," he said.

On June 3, the 10th Moscow Wushu Stars International Tournament kicked off in Moscow. About 1,000 athletes from Armenia, Belarus, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tanzania, Uzbekistan and Russia took part in it.