MOSCOW, January 11 (RIA Novosti) – Representatives of all factions in the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, took part in a target shooting competition on Friday.
Lawmakers from A Just Russia won the team competition with 278 points, only seven points ahead of their opponents from the ruling United Russia. Members of the nationalist LDPR party scored 96 points, enough to finish third. Konstantin Shirshov, the only representative of the communists at the event, came in fourth with 88 points.
In the individual competition final, a United Russia lawmaker, Col. (Ret.) Irshat Fakhritdinov, clinched the victory with a one-point advantage over his A Just Russia opponent Alexander Ageyev.
A total of 25 lawmakers applied to take part in the event, but ten were unable to attend for various reasons, including the United Russia team captain, retired heavyweight boxer Nikolai Valuev.
The competition was organized by a Russian paramilitary youth organization, the Voluntary Association for Assistance to Army, Air Force and Navy (DOSAAF) and devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, a decisive battle of the World War II.
Organizers said the competition was meant to promote target shooting sports, safe firearms handling, patriotic values and military service.
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