A training hall has opened its doors at the St Nicholas the Wonderworker Church complex in Pokrovskoye in the Russian capital.

There are big plans for the venue which has been tipped to become the main facility for international seminars on blind sambo.

An Opening Ceremony was attended by sambists from various Russian cities, including Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don and Chelyabinsk.

Sambist and actor Dmitry Goncharov was the special guest before Andrey Demidov and Dmitry Samokhvalov gave a demonstration performance that showcased skills and techniques.

Senior coach of the Russian visually impaired sambo team, Viktor Ignatenko, also held a demonstration training session.

"Having our own gym for practicing sambo allows us to work more effectively, carry out the necessary tests and measurements in special helmets and monitor the training results of the athletes with a visual impairment," said blind sambo training process administrator Natalia Novikova.

"The results of this work should form the basis for the international rules of sambo for the blind."