First open-weight boxing championship of Russia started in Vladivostok on Friday

The first open-weight boxing championship of Russia began in Vladivostok (the Russian Far East) on Friday.

As senior coach of the national boxing team of Russia Nikolai Khromov told RIA Novosti, eight boxers - Alexander Povetkin, Alexei Lezin, Artur Morobyan, Yevgeny Sukhoverkhov, Andrei Kudlai, Islam Timurziyev, Andrei Derevtsov and Valery Chechenev - will vie for top honours.

The semi-final bouts will be staged on Saturday, and the winner of the national open-weight title will be determined on Sunday.

Nikolai Khromov noted that such championships were popular in the Soviet Union and were held till 1989. Yevgeny Sudakov was the last open-weight champion of the U.S.S.R.

Last year the Boxing Federation of Russia decided to revive the open-weight championship. Considering the fact that much is being done in the Maritime Territory to develop this sport, in the competition among cities for the right to host the first open-weight championship of Russia the national boxing federation gave preference to Vladivostok.