April 28, 2019Republic of Udmurtia

Village of Grakhovo hosts republican tournament

The 10th open tournament was held in the Udmurt Republic on April 28

The 10th Open Republican Tug of War Tournament for men's and women's teams was held in the village of Grakhovo. The men competed in the welterweight (600 kg) and heavyweight (720 kg) categories, the women in the 560 kg category. Eighteen teams arrived: seven men's teams in each weight category and four women's teams.

In addition to village teams from Malaya Purga, Zavyalovo, Kizner, Kiyasovo and Grakhovo, city teams from Izhevsk, Mozhga and Sarapul took part, as well as combined teams of the student work brigades of the Udmurt Republic. Teams from neighboring regions – Tatarstan and the Samara and Orenburg regions – gave the tournament added status. The participants observed a minute of silence in memory of Magomedkhabib Abusov, the coach of the Dagestan teams, who passed away in December 2018 and whose teams had worthily represented the southern region at the tournament in Grakhovo for three years.

A round-robin system was used in each category. Fifty bouts were held in 3.5 hours.

In the 720 kg category, Malopurginsky District won convincingly, followed by the team from the village of Yagi-Kaksi (Grakhovsky District), with Kiznersky District third.

In the up to 600 kg category, the Grakhovsky District team won, the Samara team came second, and the strongmen of Malaya Purga were third.

The women's tournament was spectacular. In an evenly matched contest, the Malaya Purga women lost to the Grakhovo athletes; third place went to the combined student work brigade team, which beat its rivals from Kiyasovsky District on additional criteria – the match between them ended in a 1:1 draw.

The competition was refereed by specialists trained under the seminar programs of the Russian Tug of War Federation in St. Petersburg and Penza.

At the award ceremony, the head of Grakhovsky District, Viktor Belov, presented cups to the winners and medals and diplomas of the Udmurt Ministry of Sport to the prize-winners. The participants received souvenirs – mugs with Udmurt ornaments and the symbols of the district and the republic – and calendars.

Ahead for Udmurtia's tug of war athletes are a number of tournaments held at corporate Spartakiads of Udmurt enterprises, as well as the 28th Summer Rural Games in the village of Selty, which will take place from July 2 to 6. Official competitions on the Russian Tug of War Federation calendar are planned for the autumn and winter.