Sambo competitions dedicated to the memory of the hero of the Northern Military District from Kuzbass will be held in Prokopyevsk

On February 24-25 in Prokopyevsk, on the basis of the sports and recreation complex of the Prokopyevsky Technical College of Physical Culture, the All-Russian Sambo competition will be held for the second time, dedicated to the memory of the Russian Guard fighter Vladimir Nikitin, who died on February 25 in the area where the SVO was held.

Boys and girls aged 12-14 years will take part in the competition. The winners of these competitions will become participants in the Russian Sambo Championship, which will be held from May 29 to June 3 in Mozhaisk.

Last year, these competitions brought together more than 300 young sambo wrestlers from 13 Russian territories. Among the participants were representatives of the DPR. More than a hundred athletes from Kuzbass took part in the competition, 17 of them became winners and prize-winners.

Vladimir Nikitin, in whose memory the competition is held, was born in 1993 in Prokopyevsk. At the age of 7, he enrolled in the sambo section and never left this sport. His first coach was Vladimir Nosikov. Little Volodya constantly worked on himself, without missing a single workout. Thanks to his determination and efficiency, Vladimir Nikitin completed the category of candidate master of sports in sambo and repeatedly became the winner and prize-winner of regional and interregional competitions.

After school, Vladimir Nikitin graduated from the Prokopyevsky Technical School of Physical Education, and then entered the Omsk University of Physical Education with a degree in “physical education teacher, coach” in the field of “wrestling”. Fellow students remember him as a good friend and reliable comrade with a keen sense of justice.

In 2013, Vladimir Nikitin was drafted into the Russian Armed Forces in Khabarovsk, and after military service he remained to serve under a contract. He worked in a mobile company as a physical training instructor.

In 2017, Vladimir entered the Office of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops in the Kemerovo Region, and two years later he transferred to serve in the Novokuznetsk OMON with the rank of senior police sergeant.

In February 2022, Vladimir Nikitin and his colleagues went to the SVO area. On February 25, he died covering his comrades. For courage, bravery and dedication shown during combat missions, Vladimir Valerievich Nikitin was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage.

In 2023, on the initiative of Vladimir’s relatives and friends, the administration of the city of Prokopyevsk, the governor of Kuzbass, and the Sambo Federation of the Kemerovo Region, a decision was made to hold an All-Russian Sambo tournament in memory of the Kuzbass hero.

And last weekend in Kuzbass Tanai there were competitions for children with disabilities.