The Friendship Cup 2024 Russia (Hand-to-Hand Fighting World Cup Stage) commenced at the prestigious International Sambo Center in Moscow from April 26 to 28, 2024. This esteemed event brought together professional athletes from Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Armenia, Bulgaria, China, Germany, Georgia, Egypt, India, Jordan, Iran, Yemen, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Morocco, Moldova, Mongolia, UAE, the Republic of Belarus, Russia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. A total of 246 athletes showcased their skills in various categories and disciplines, such as Self-Defense and Self-Defense 1+1 for both men and women.
The Games were officially opened by Sergey Astakhov, the President of the Hand-to-Hand Fighting Sport International Federation, who warmly welcomed the athletes, judges, and coaches.
A significant moment during the Friendship Games 2024 was the official recognition of Ghana as a member of the Hand-to-Hand Fighting Sport International Federation. This milestone was represented by John Aggrey, the Founder and CEO of the Ghana Russia Center for Commerce and Relations. The Certificate of Endorsement granted stakeholders and partners the authority to enhance the sport through training programs, referee courses, and local and international competitions in Ghana.
In an interview with the press, John Aggrey expressed his optimism about the growing interest in hand-to-hand fighting among young athletes. He emphasized the importance of promoting the sport in Africa to encourage a healthy lifestyle and discipline, as hand-to-hand fighting is rooted in strong moral principles and rules and added his team looks forward to collaborating with sports authorities and stakeholders in Ghana to promote the game and the international reputation of professional athletes and referees.
The Friendship Cup Competition was a collaborative effort between the Moscow City Department of Sport and the Hand-to-Hand Fighting Sport International Federation.
The international Federation for Hand-to-Hand-Fighting was founded in 2006 and based in Moscow. Its mission is to make the Sports of Hand-to-Hand Fighting widely known globally, with the goal of having Hand-to-Hand Fighting Sport events featured on every Olympic agenda as a recognized Olympic Sport.
With that in mind, the Federation runs championships, tournaments, seminars for referees and training sessions for athletes, as well as demonstration fight shows in various countries of the world.
