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Record number of women take part in 2021 International Army Games — top brass

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, 140 female representatives from 23 countries of the world participated in seven competitions of the Army Games

MOSCOW, September 2. /TASS/. A record number of women took part in the 2021 international Army Games, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Thursday.

"This year, women service members showed an unprecedented interest in the International Army Games: 140 female representatives from 23 countries of the world participated in seven competitions of the Army Games. Previously, women competed outside the competition program whereas now they are participating in competitions on a par with men," the statement says.

Over 20 female service members from Russia are participating in the 2021 International Army Games, the ministry said.

Women from 20 countries are taking part in the Army of Culture contest while female participants from eight countries are competing in the Military Medical Relay Race. Female representatives of five states are demonstrating their professional skills and mastery in the Warrior of Peace competitions while the women’s teams from three countries are competing in the Confident Reception and True Friend contests, the statement says.

Also, Russian women service members are demonstrating their culinary skills in the Field Kitchen contest among the food service military personnel and they also participated in the Sniper Frontier competition, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"In the 2021 International Army Games, the women’s teams are participating in the contests that are running in the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Uzbekistan and in the Russian Federation," the statement says.

The number of women is on the rise both among the participating teams and the referees at the Army Games, the ministry stressed.

"The women referees sitting on the Army-2021 international referee panel represent the Defense Ministry of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Serbia and the Russian Federation," the ministry explained.

Of 21 world records set at the International Army Games, three belong to women, the statement says.

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