Volgodonsk battles to third place

07 May 2008

The Volgodonsk nuclear power plant has hosted the All-Russia Hand-To-Hand Combat Tournament for the third time. The two-day event attracted competitors from 23 Russian regions. Of the 107 fighters present, 12 were acknowledged as masters of the sport. Competitors from five nuclear power plants - Kola, Leningrad, Beloyarsk, Kursk and Volgodonsk - took part in the competition. Russia's overarching nuclear coordinating corporation, Rosatom, said that nuclear plants are "specific facilities requiring enhanced protection and guarded by strong and well-trained men." While representatives from the nuclear power plants won medals in the various weight groups, the team from the Volgodonsk plant were named the third-best team of fighters, after the team from the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the team from the Volgograd region. Among the nuclear plants, Volgodonsk was best, followed by Kursk and Leningrad. The director of the Volgodonsk plant, Alexander Palamarchuk, presented medals to the winners and invited the fighters to come again next year. In last year's competition the Volgodonsk plant came second, ahead of Volgodonsk region but behind the Moscow branch of the Federal Security Service.