Asia and Oceania SAMBO Championships 2026: Manila Writes Its Own Chapter

The 2026 Asia and Oceania SAMBO Championships concluded on June 28 in Manila. For four days, the Philippine capital became the centre of continental SAMBO: 427 athletes from 21 countries took to the mat at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Seventeen delegations returned home with medals – a result that SAMBO Union of Asia and Oceania (SUAO) President Alamjon Mullaev described as one of the championship's defining achievements.

“It is wonderful when so many countries win medals,” said Mullaev. “That is what a true celebration of SAMBO looks like.”

The SUAO president was particularly emphatic in his praise for the host nation. The Philippine team claimed medals of all three colors, finishing fourth in the overall team standings at the 2026 Asia and Oceania Championships. The SAMBO community took note not only of the team's athletic results, but also of the exceptional work put in by the organizing side. The Pilipinas SAMBO Federation Inc. (PSFI), working in close cooperation with the Philippine Sports Commission, delivered a championship that left participants genuinely impressed.

“Representatives of every single country noted, more than once, how brilliantly the Philippines had prepared,” the SUAO president emphasized. “This tournament has become one of the finest Asia and Oceania Championships we have held. Manila has written its own chapter in the history of our sport.”

Alamjon Mullaev also made a point of recognizing the nations still building their foothold in international SAMBO: teams from India, Jordan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and several other countries arrived in Manila with sizeable delegations and pushed hard against the established leaders of the region.

The championship's defining moment came courtesy of Australia's Jillian Hardey, who defeated one of Kazakhstan's top athletes in the final to claim her country's first-ever gold medal at the Asia and Oceania Championships.

“I think few people expected that outcome, but the Australian athletes prepared well for the tournament,” said the SUAO president. “I believe this result will drive SAMBO's development in Australia further. We expect even greater things from them.”

Women's Combat SAMBO earned special recognition throughout the event. Bouts showcasing sharp technique and knockouts made clear that the discipline has long outgrown its experimental phase and now holds a firm, rightful place on the competition program.

“We were among the first on the continent to develop women's Combat SAMBO,” Mullaev recalled. “Today it has well and truly earned its place: enormous interest, outstanding athletes, and gripping bouts on the mat.”

With the organization, the atmosphere, and the results all drawing the highest marks, Manila has firmly established itself as a candidate for a regular spot on SAMBO's regional calendar.

“I think we will return to the Philippines more than once,” concluded Alamjon Mullaev. “SAMBO already has strong roots here – and after this championship, they will only grow deeper.”