Pan American SAMBO Championships to Take Place in Costa Rica

From July 9 to 11, the Costa Rican city of Alajuela will host the Pan American SAMBO Championships. The competition will take place at the Polideportivo Monserrat sports complex and will bring together the continent's strongest athletes across three disciplines: Sport SAMBO, Combat SAMBO, and Beach SAMBO.

Alajuela, Costa Rica's third-largest city, will host the continental championships for the second time. The inaugural tournament took place in 2022 at the very same venue where this year's competition is scheduled.

The tournament's official artwork features local wildlife: the rainbow-billed toucan, a national symbol of Costa Rica representing the country's natural richness, and the sloth, beloved as a national emblem for its endearing face, soft fur, and famously unhurried way of life.

As is tradition, the championships will be preceded by a packed educational program: a coaches' seminar will take place at the same venue on July 6-7, followed by a referees' seminar on July 7-8. Participation in these seminars offers delegations an excellent opportunity to fully represent their countries at the continental championships, and coaches and referees who pass the certification exams will be able to earn qualification categories.

Competition Schedule

Men and women will compete for medals in Sport SAMBO and Combat SAMBO across seven weight categories in each discipline. Men will compete at 58, 64, 71, 79, 88, 98, and +98 kg, while women will compete at 50, 54, 59, 65, 72, 80, and +80 kg.

Sport SAMBO and Combat SAMBO competitions will run on July 9 and 10, with two days of preliminary bouts, finals, and award ceremonies.

The championships will conclude on July 11 with Beach SAMBO events, contested in both individual and team formats. Men will compete at 58, 71, 88, and +88 kg, and women at 50, 59, 72, and +72 kg. The team event will feature mixed squads of four athletes each – two men (71 and +71 kg) and two women (59 and +59 kg).

The opening ceremony will be held on July 9.

Seminars for Coaches and Referees

The coaches' seminar (July 6-7) combines theoretical sessions on the classification of SAMBO techniques with practical training in standing and ground fighting. The seminar concludes with an exam: coaches who pass will earn a first-level coaching qualification, while others will receive certificates of participation.

The referees' seminar (July 7-8) covers the rules of Sport SAMBO, Combat SAMBO, and Beach SAMBO, along with practical sessions on officiating bouts. The seminar will be conducted in Spanish and English. Referees who pass the exam will earn FIAS's international Category B qualification (Continental Referee).

Both seminars are open only to coaches and referees included in their national SAMBO federation's official entry list.

Format of Participation

Each national federation may enter one athlete per weight category. An athlete may compete in more than one discipline, but only within the same weight category. National delegations may include up to seven athletes in each of Sport SAMBO and Combat SAMBO (separately for men and women), plus up to four athletes each in men's and women's Beach SAMBO.

All championship participants – athletes and coaches alike – must be registered in the FIAS electronic database.

Follow the continent's top SAMBO athletes live at www.sambo.live