This exclusive team tournament has been held in Russia since 2000. This year’s participants were teams from Japan, Germany, Scandinavian countries, Italy, the Baltic states, Ukraine and Belarus. The prize of $250,000 is unprecedented for the sport.
The stands of the Sport and Concert Centre with a seating capacity of 2,700 were full.
The President made an unnoticed appearance among the spectators at the tournament and took a seat in the second row. He watched the competition occasionally discussing the events on the tatami with his first judo coach, Anatoly Rakhlin.
President Putin watched the final match between the Russian and the Japanese teams. The Japanese team won 7–5.