putinjudo

Haven’t had enough of Vladimir Putin this past couple of weeks? Watch the Russian leader take a break from his presidential duties to rumble with the country’s national judo team.

Following the release of his own personal fragrance line and 2016 calendar earlier this month, Putin went head to head with the Russian Amateur Ice Hockey League on January 7 in Sochi, before dropping by nearby Yug Sport to take on the national judo team and head coach Ezio Gamba as he supervised their practice.

Even though Putin holds a black belt in the sport, it’s obvious that the player went a little easy on him during each match, though the leader did show his gentlemanly side by letting a female judoka get one in.

▼ Possible entry for next year’s calendar?
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Putin may have come out the victor during his bout with Gamba, but you could say Gamba was the real winner, as the president granted the Italian-born head coach Russian citizenship shortly after the practice had finished, possibly in light of the team’s success under Gamba’s direction at the 2012 Olympics in London.

The training visit was part of a series of promotional ads to showcase Putin’s personal fitness in order to appeal to Russian voters. And, to be fair, it went much better than the mayor of London’s sports-related PR tour…

Source: YouTube/RT Sport via My Game News Flash
Top/feature image: YouTube/RT Sport