On June 1, a hand-to-hand combat tournament for the “Cup of the President of Ukraine” was held at the Sports Palace in Kyiv among the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations, law enforcement agencies and rescue services. The tournament was also attended by representatives of the Federation of Bodyguards of the Dnepropetrovsk Region.
The championship in the team competition was won by the first team of the State Security Administration of Ukraine. The second team of the State Security Administration of Ukraine won silver, and the bronze was won by the State Border Service of Ukraine.
In total, 180 athletes from 12 law enforcement agencies competed for the Cup of the President of Ukraine. For the first time, fighters from the State Special Communications Service and Foreign Intelligence represented their departments on the tatami.
The most numerous support groups were from the National Guard and the UGO. Those present noted the large number of spectators in the stands and the high level of training of hand-to-hand athletes. The head of the State Security Department of Ukraine, Colonel General Valeriy Geletey, in his commentary on the official page of the UGO also emphasizes the quality of the participants’ training: “The tournament athletes showed a phenomenally high level of preparation! Just look at the shortest brilliant fight: in just 12 seconds, a soldier of the State Security Administration received a clear victory by knockout in one of the fights.”