A resident of the western Siberian city of Prokopyevsk has lost 46 kilograms after being turned away from the Russian army because of his excess weight, a spokesman for the Central Military District told the Interfax news agency Monday.

Sergei Malyovany, 20, signed up to join the Airborne Troops in spring but was rejected after being ruled temporarily unfit for being overweight at 130 kilograms, spokesman Yaroslav Roshchupkin said in the report.

With a combination of intensive training in the Russian martial art combat sambo, general physical exercise and diet restrictions he brought his weight down to 84 kilograms and will be recruited in November, the report said.

More than 63,000 conscripts have been recruited in the fall draft which began this month, the report said.

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