Congress of the SAMBO Union of Asia and Oceania Held in Manila

The Congress of the SAMBO Union of Asia and Oceania (SUAO) took place on June 25 in Manila, Philippines, as part of the Asia and Oceania SAMBO Championships. The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format, bringing together delegates from 27 countries: Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

Opening the Congress, SUAO President Alamjon Mullaev expressed his gratitude to the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine SAMBO Federation led by Paolo Tancontian for their outstanding organization of the Championships.

In his report, Mullaev reviewed the Union’s activities since the previous Congress held in Tashkent and highlighted the major SAMBO events organized across the continent. These included the Asian Cadet and Masters SAMBO Championships in Aktau, Kazakhstan; the first-ever World Beach SAMBO Championships held in Asia, hosted by Singapore; the World Youth and Junior SAMBO Championships in Bogor, Indonesia; the 2025 World SAMBO Cup in Dushanbe, Tajikistan; and the FIAS World SAMBO Championships and Electoral Congress in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

FIAS CEO - Acting Secretary General Alexander Korsik addressed the delegates on behalf of FIAS President Vasily Shestakov. He wished the Congress participants productive discussions and the athletes successful and memorable performances at the Championships.

SUAO Secretary General Suresh Gopi noted in his address that within just eleven years of SAMBO’s presence in the Philippines, the sport has reached a level that would have been difficult to imagine only a few years ago. He emphasized that this achievement was made possible through the dedicated efforts of the entire Philippine SAMBO Federation team.

One of the key decisions of the Congress was the approval of the application submitted by the Cambodian SAMBO Federation for candidate membership in SUAO. At the same time, the Congress voted to remove the Thailand SAMBO Association from membership due to many years of inactivity.

Reports from the regional vice presidents were also presented during the meeting.

Representing Australia and Oceania, Savely Timofeev spoke about the steady growth of SAMBO across the region, including increasing participation in competitions, successful engagement with athletes from related sports, and ongoing efforts to develop SAMBO for visually impaired athletes in cooperation with the Australian Paralympic Committee.

New Zealand SAMBO Federation President Sergey Permitin reported that SAMBO in New Zealand recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. At last year’s Asia and Oceania Championships, New Zealand athletes won two historic gold medals – the country’s first continental titles in the sport. These achievements have inspired active athletes and supported efforts to promote SAMBO not only in New Zealand but also across Pacific nations, including Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

Delegates also received updates on SAMBO development initiatives and activities across East and Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and Central Asia.

Speaking about the Union’s strategic priorities, President Mullaev outlined the ongoing work aimed at securing SAMBO’s inclusion in major continental multi-sport events and highlighted the progress already achieved. He also reminded delegates that SAMBO will be featured in the upcoming World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan this September. In addition, the 50th anniversary edition of the World SAMBO Championships will take place in Tashkent this November.

Congress members selected the host city of the next Asia and Oceania SAMBO Championships. In 2027, the continent’s top athletes will compete for medals in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.

Concluding the Congress, Alamjon Mullaev described 2026 as “the Year of Asian SAMBO” and thanked FIAS leadership and all national federations for their contribution to the development of the sport throughout the continent.