The FIE Épée World Cup is currently taking place in Astana, with Kazakhstan's Ruslan Kurbanov and Kirill Prokhodov competing in today's qualifying round.

Both athletes won their opening matches and advanced to the next round of the competition - the top 32, The Caspian Post reports, citing Kazakh media.

Ruslan Kurbanov confidently defeated his Russian opponent, demonstrating a high level of tactical skill and control of the bout.

Kirill Prokhodov, in turn, proved stronger than his rival from France, also securing his spot in the next stage.

Ruslan Kurbanov is one of the leaders of Kazakhstan’s men’s national épée fencing team, a bronze medalist at the World Championships, and a multiple medalist at World Cup stages and international tournaments. He steadily ranks among the country’s strongest épée fencers and represents Kazakhstan at major competitions.

Kirill Prokhodov is a promising young athlete on the national team, a bronze medalist at the Asian Junior Championships, and a participant in international competitions and World Cup stages, gradually strengthening his standing within the national team.