The international tournament "Cup of Nations" brought together 1,600 karate players from 43 countries of the world

The third international karate tournament "Cup of Nations" has started in Moscow, which brought together the best athletes from 43 countries at once. On March 1, Izvestia correspondent Pavel Prolomov provided details about the competition.

A duel is like a flash of lightning: athletes act with cold calculation, emotions are expressed only by coaches in prompts. There is no room for doubt on the tatami: fractions of a second, character and years of practice decide here. He combined everything together and won.

"I won due to hard training and my willpower," explained karate expert Dmitry Celestial.

The juniors have already had such a return in the preliminary matches. The prestigious Kyokushin karate tournament "Cup of Nations" gathered 1,600 participants. In order to meet the two-day deadline, the competitions are held simultaneously on six tatami mats.

"Here, athletes meet in kumite duels — everything is decided by the speed and accuracy of strikes. Just a few meters away, the participants demonstrate kata, where perfect control and well—honed movements are important," the correspondent said.

It's a kind of shadow fight. Here the athlete shows a strict sequence of defensive and offensive techniques. Among the participants is the representative of the motherland of karate, the Japanese Airu Yoshida.

"I could have gotten more points than I expected, I managed to give my best by 60-70%. I will do my best in the next round," Yoshida said.

The seemingly fragile girl handles weapons like a seasoned ninja. In 2025, at the same tournament, Ekaterina Verigina became the champion in the junior category and fulfilled the standard of the master of sports, now conquers the adult podium.

"The most important thing is to overcome yourself and your anxiety. The one who can handle the flow of emotions better will be able to show himself worthily on the tatami," she believes.

The support of her family helped the girl reach the finals this time.

"It's shaking, to be honest, of course. I am proud of my daughter, it was hard to break through, the competition is very big," said Oleg Verigin, the athlete's father.

The Nations Cup brought together 43 countries and 41 regions of Russia. Even famous athletes could not ignore these competitions.

"It's very cool that a lot of international organizations and federations are involved. It takes place here, at our home. Children have an example, there is a lot to grow," added Peter Yan, a mixed martial artist and two—time UFC bantamweight champion.

"It unites the nation, unites the people. For some, this is a healthy lifestyle, while others strive for great achievements," said Valery Gazzaev, Honored Coach of Russia, Master of Sports of the international class of the USSR.

Sports weekend with Izvestia

The Channel One Hockey Cup, the return of Russian skiers to the World Cup, the finals of the World Boxing Championship and other events

On December 15 last year, the Russians became the winners of the Combat Sambo League at a tournament in Moscow. For five years, the league has been gathering the best wrestlers of the country and the world on the carpet. The Russian fighters were opposed by the world team from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and even Cameroon.

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