The agreement was signed on behalf of Russian Minister of Sports Oleg Matytsin ©VFS

The All-Russian Sambo Federation (VFS) has signed an agreement with the Centre for Sports Training of Russian National Teams, with the aim of promoting cooperation between the two parties.

The VFS will work with Russia's national training centre to support athletes' preparations for competitions, aiming to help them achieve improved results.

Russian state news agency TASS reported the agreement is initially for one year.

Improving the efficiency of sports training is another of its stated goals.

The Centre for Sports Training's director Georgy Bryusov and VFS President Sergei Eliseev signed the relevant documentation on behalf of Russia's Minister of Sports Oleg Matytsin.

Matytsin also heads a working group for the development of sambo in the country.

The agreement aims to help athletes achieve improved results ©VFS
The agreement aims to help athletes achieve improved results ©VFS

Russian athletes competed under the "neutral" VFS banner at the World Sambo Championships in Tashkent in November, topping the medal table with eight golds due to sanctions imposed by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Moscow had been due to host the event, but it was moved to Uzbekistan's capital because of the sanctions.

The country's men's, women's and junior sambo teams recently travelled to Limassol in Cyprus for a training and rehabilitation session, which included playing football.

The International Sambo Federation was granted full recognition at the International Olympic Committee Session held before the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, having earned provisional recognition in 2018.