Estonian Sambo Association

In 1959 a sport enthusiast gathered the first group of athletes, and from this moment the development of Sambo has begun in Estonia. In the yearly 1960s a real SAMBO master Yury Saakian arrived in Tallinn. He initiated the creation of children’s and youth sports school in SAMBO on the base of sport club DVIGATEL.

The disciples of Yury Saakian quickly achieved the great results in the USSR competitions. The pioneer in the USSR Championship was Viktor Antonov (-58 kg) who won the silver medal in 1966. The USSR Championships youth the following Estonian athletes won Medals and became winners and prize-winners from 1966 till 1976: A. Bolshakov, B. Masalitin, R. Ashyan, S. Vaiser, L. Chendrikson, E. Stambler, G. Karev, A. Klepach, V. Zhilkin, S. Fedorin.

The first Silver medal was achieved in the USSR championship senior in 1976. This successful result achieved a disciple of Yury Saakian, Dmitry Samoshtshuk, who became later a two-time USSR champion and winner of the first World Cup in 1977.

In 1992 after the dissolution of the USSR the Estonian Sambo Association (ESA) was registered once again. During these years athletes regularly took part in the European and World championships.

Since 2011 till now the Estonian Sambo athletes have the most successful period. They won 15 medals in the World and European championships youth, 10 medals juniors, 17 medals seniors. The most titled sambo athletes is repeated prize-winner of the World and European championships is Alexandre Fedorov (-74 kg), 8 medals.  Repeated prize-winners of the World and European championships became: D. Smoldarev (+100kg), 3 medals; A. Kuznetsova (+80 kg), 3 medals; A. Sopp (+80kg), 2 medals. A. Fedorin (-62 kg), R.Zubets (-62 kg) and I.Drovniashin (-82 kg) won one medals.Today The Estonian Sambo Association consists of 12 clubs with 14 licensed coaches. Dmirty Samoshtshuk is a president of association, chief coach of national team. Vladimir Klinkov is a General Secretary and chief chairman of Referees Board. Viktor Senin is a vice-president, Alexandre Klepash is a vice-president.

The ESA annually organizes the Open Championship of Estonia, takes part in the international games of martial arts of Estonia (EVSÜ). The European Union championship 2007 and the First European Open Championship Cadets (15-16) 2012 were successfully held in Estonia.