FIAS Digest: Elections, Tournaments, Seminars, Awards

Where do Austrian sambo athletes practise? How many athletes fought in the Gordeev tournament in Kirghizia? Who was elected as the Head of the French Sambo Committee? What award was given to Rumen Stoilov, the President of the Bulgarian Sambo Federation? In which U.S. state was a sambo seminar held? What sambo athlete became the owner of a new car in Buryatia? Answers to these and other questions are in the digest of the FIAS website.

Austria

Sambo seminars were held on February 1 and 2 in a Mattersburg sports club. This club has recently become a part of the Austrian Sambo Federation. The seminar was attended by athletes of the club, as well as by young sambo wrestlers from a new club established in the city of Salzburg. In the near future, members of another Austrian Sambo Federation club representing Vienna will be provided with necessary sambo equipment for activities, which have been regularly held in the Iron Fist Gym capital club since the end of the last year.

Kirghizia

The major international sport and combat sambo tournament in memory of Vitaly Gordeev, internationalist serviceman, Chevalier of the Order of the Red Star, as well as the 25^th anniversary of the Soviet troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, was held at the Kojomkul Sports Palace in Bishkek. Representatives from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Uzbekistan and sambo athletes from different regions of Kirghizia, as well as from schools and sports clubs in Bishkek, took part in the competition. 296 people competed for medals in the sport sambo tournament. The hosts won gold medals in eight of the nine weight categories. What concerns combat sambo, all the gold medals were won by the representatives of Kirghizia.

Bulgaria

Rumen Stoilov, President of the Bulgarian Sambo Federation, was awarded the Order of Stara Planina of the second class for his outstanding achievements in sports Rosen Plevneliev, Head of Bulgaria ,awarded the Chairman of the Bulgarian Sambo Federation. Rumen Stoilov,  a multiple national and European sambo champion, became a coach of the men's national sambo team in 1988 and since 2003 he has served as the Chairman of the Bulgarian Sambo Federation. Under his leadership, Bulgarian sambo wrestlers have achieved outstanding results. Over the past five years Bulgarian sambo wrestlers won 228 medals at the European and World championships, including 62 gold ones.

France

Jean-Claude Cerutti was re-elected as the President of the French Sambo Committee of the French Wrestling Federation. The elections were held on February 9, 2014 at the General Assembly Committee during the France championship. In recent years, France has actively participated in international competitions and during that time was able to train the strongest athletes who win prizes and become champions at the World Martial Arts Games, World Student University Games and European Championships. Re-election of the national sambo management confirms that the chosen course will be continued.

USA

The sambo seminar was held on February 22 in the city of Austin in the American state of Texas. About 25 sportsmen, who are interested in sambo, gathered at the Vasquez Academy of Martial Arts sports complex. During the seminar, they learned the theory and practice of gripping, throw and painful hold techniques. The seminar was conducted by Nina Cutro-Kelly, the winner of one of the stages of the 2014 World Cup and bronze medalist of the 2011 World Championship.

Russia

The Combat Sambo Russian Championship was held in Ulan-Ude (Buryatia). Sportsmen from all around the country gathered in a spacious modern sports palace in the city center to determine the strongest ones. It is interesting that in addition to fighting for medals, sambo wrestlers tried to demonstrate the best technique to win a new car. BuryatZoloto Open Joint-Stock Company, general partner of the Championship, supported the sambo athletes, having sponsored the main prize – an automobile. According to the results of the competition, Andrey Budazhapov, representative of the host team and winner in the Best Tournament Fighter special nomination, has become the owner of the car. He also won a ticket to the European Championship to be held in Romania in May. According to the results of the competition, two national teams were formed: the first numbers will go to the World Championship, and the second ones will take part in the European Championship.