Russian athletes became the champions of the World Championship and World Cup in Kyokushinkan Karate in Japan
On November 22-23, 2025, in Tokyo, at the National Olympic Stadium Yoyogi, two major international tournaments took place simultaneously – the World Championship for athletes aged 12–17 and the World Championship for adults. The Russian team at both tournaments was represented by members of the Podolsk-Dojo club – participants of the International Tournament «Nations Cup», organized by the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs «Ivolga» together with the Podolsk-Dojo club. The Russian karatekas demonstrated one of the brightest results of the world tournament: out of 17 matches, the athletes won 14 victories, confirming their high level of skill and training.
Thanks to daily training, intense work, and the support of the team of coaches led by the head of the «Podolsk-Dojo» club and co-organizer of the «Nations Cup» tournament, Maksim Aborin, participants in both age categories performed confidently on the world tatami and took prize-winning places. «Today the kids showed what we live for in the dojo every day. They went out onto the world tatami and proved that the Russian karate school is strong, worthy, and respected worldwide. I am proud of every athlete, the team, and the fact that we can represent our country at such a level. For me, it is an honor to see our fighters not only defeat their opponents but also overcome their own fears, and then raise the Russian flag after a victorious match. This is a huge responsibility and immense happiness», noted Maksim Aborin.
A member of the official delegation accompanying the Russian karate athletes was the Deputy Chairman of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs «Ivolga», partner of the «Construction Alliance» Holding – Artem Petrukhin: «Together, we support the development of the sports movement in our country at all levels, especially for children and youth, because this is how real champions are born. I am immensely proud of our guys and I am confident: supporting such initiatives is not just important, it is an investment in the future of our country and each of us. A healthy, strong society does not appear on its own – it is created by coaches, children, parents, and those who believe in and live through sports. For athletes, this is a huge opportunity; for coaches, it is an honor; and for the state, it is the foundation of ideology and a pillar of development».
More than 850 athletes from 40 countries participated in the competitions. About 106 participants from Russia competed in the World Championship, along with 34 fighters in the World Cup. The tournament also featured competitions in the «kata with weapons» discipline, where Russia was represented by 17 veterans and 4 athletes. The tournament is traditionally considered one of the most prestigious events in world Kyokushinkan karate.
The winners of the World Championship were:
Arseniy Tishkin
Matvey Vinichenko
Prize winners included:
Praskovya Proskudina – 2nd place
Daniil Volodin – 3rd place
The winners of the World Cup were:
Sergo Armenyan
Vladimir Olekhov
Stivin Abugu
Prize-winning places were taken by:
Vladislav Li – 2nd place
Ivan Komarov – 2nd place
Maxim Eskov – 3rd place
The First International Open Championship in Kyokushinkan of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs «Ivolga» and the «Podolsk-Dojo» club took place in February 2024 in the city of Chekhov at the Olympiyskiy Sports Palace. About 800 athletes from 12 countries participated in the competition, and medalists came from 11 nations.
The second competition, held as the Nations Cup, took place a year later, on March 9, 2025, in Moscow at the Irina Viner Palace. It featured 2,000 athletes from 26 foreign countries and 41 regions of Russia. The competition was held on a large scale for the first time — athletes competed on 12 tatami mats, and the live broadcast of the sporting event was watched by over 600,000 people.
In 2026, the Nations Cup will be held for the third time from February 28 to March 1 at the Basket-Hall arena in the picturesque Moskvoretsky Park. The tournament is expected to bring together even more participating countries and most regions of the Russian Federation, becoming a landmark international sporting event with around 2,000 athletes.
The tournament is being held as part of the UIE «Ivolga» project – «Unity, Development, Sport» and aims to strengthen intercultural interaction, develop youth sports, and promote a healthy lifestyle. It is an international sports platform that enhances Russia's prestige as a center of cultural and sporting cooperation.