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Putin Flaunts Ice Hockey Skills in Russia’s Sochi

Russian President Vladimir Putin once again flaunted his athletic prowess in an amateur late night ice hockey game Tuesday, RBC reported.

Putin led a team of Russian officials and former hockey players, including defense minister Sergei Shoigu, in the match in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi. Russian hockey stars Vyacheslav Fetisov and Pavel Bure also played alongside the 63-year-old president.

They competed against a team of businessmen, some of whom are known for their close ties to the Kremlin. They included billionaires Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, Gennady Timchenko, Vladimir Potanin and the governor of Moscow region Andrei Vorobyov.

Putin joined the game in the second period, scoring a goal and two assists. The president's team won 9-5, with Putin receiving the trophy from Soviet-era hockey star Alexander Yakushev, according to state news agency RIA Novosti.

Putin is in Sochi until Friday for a series of meetings with Russia's top defense officials, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday. The talks will be focused on developing the country's defense industry complex, TASS state news agency reported.

Vladimir Putin, who was elected for his first term as Russia’s president back in May 2000, has a black belt in judo and has previously been seen at events horse riding, diving in the Black Sea and flying a hang glider.

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