When did aquathlon, also known as underwater wrestling, emerge?

Aquathlon (also known as underwater wrestling) is an underwater sport, where two competitors wearing masks and fins wrestle underwater in an attempt to remove a ribbon from each other's ankle band in order to win the bout. The "combat" takes place in a 5-metre (16 ft) square ring within a swimming pool and is made up of three 30-second rounds, with a fourth-round played in the event of a tie.

The sport originated during the 1980s in the former USSR (now Russia) and was first played at the international level in 1993.

Combat aquathlon practice training engagements not only underwater, but also afloat, above the water surface, both with or without diving gear, utilizing dummy weapons (rubber knives, bayonetted rifles, etc.) or barehanded, combined with grappling and choking techniques in order to neutralize or submit the opponent.