Norik Mkrtchyan Wins the “Victory Cup” International Tournament in Moscow

On November 9, the final bouts and the award ceremony of the International “Victory Cup” Army Hand-to-Hand Combat Tournament took place at the International Sambo Center in Moscow.

In the under-70 kg weight category, Armenia’s representative Norik Mkrtchyan achieved a confident victory, winning the gold medal of this prestigious tournament. The silver medal went to Russian athlete Imamshamil Gusenov.

Under the guidance of coach Arsen Stepanyants, Mkrtchyan began the competition from the round of 1/16 finals, consecutively defeating athletes from Mali, Belarus, two representatives of Kyrgyzstan, and finally overcoming a Russian opponent in the final.

The “Victory Cup” traditionally gathers hundreds of fighters from around the world, giving them the chance to compete for the title of the best and to earn the standard of an International Master of Sports.

The competitions were held among men over 18 years old in seven weight categories: 60 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 75 kg, 80 kg, 85 kg, and over 85 kg.

Army hand-to-hand combat is a sport born within the Airborne Forces that quickly expanded beyond military training and became popular across the post-Soviet space. Today, this dynamic and spectacular martial art is gaining worldwide recognition, and Mkrtchyan’s victory is yet another testament to the high level of the Armenian martial arts school.

Athletes from 20 countries took part in the tournament.