Bishkek to Host the 2025 World SAMBO Championships

Bishkek is gearing up to host the 2025 World SAMBO Championships, set to take place from November 7 to 9 in the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The event marks the return of the prestigious tournament to a city that successfully hosted the global championship back in 2022.

Over three days of competition, athletes will contest 31 sets of medals in Sport SAMBO, Combat SAMBO, and SAMBO for the Blind (SVI-1 class), which features totally blind athletes. Competitors will perform in the following weight categories:

Sport SAMBO (Men): 58 kg, 64 kg, 71 kg, 79 kg, 88 kg, 98 kg, +98 kg

Sport SAMBO (Women): 50 kg, 54 kg, 59 kg, 65 kg, 72 kg, 80 kg, +80 kg

Combat SAMBO (Men): 58 kg, 64 kg, 71 kg, 79 kg, 88 kg, 98 kg, +98 kg

Combat SAMBO (Women): 50 kg, 54 kg, 59 kg, 65 kg, 72 kg, 80 kg, +80 kg

SAMBO for the Blind – SVI-1 Class (Men): 64 kg, 79 kg, 98 kg

The total prize fund for the World Championships amounts to USD 341,000. Equal payouts are provided across all disciplines: Gold – USD 4,000, Silver – USD 3,000, Bronze – USD 2,000 for each medalist.

“The World SAMBO Championships always attract tremendous attention. Over 87 years, our sport has proven its effectiveness and versatility, earning recognition in more than 140 countries. This recognition is the result of continuous progress – SAMBO never stands still, constantly evolving and revealing new dimensions.

The emergence of new disciplines within our sport is a vivid example of this dynamic growth. A few years ago, we introduced women’s Combat SAMBO into the World Championships program, and today these competitions enjoy great popularity among fans. Last year, visually impaired SAMBO athletes made their debut, impressing audiences with their performances and inspiring fellow competitors.

The logical continuation of this success came in 2025, when the International Paralympic Committee granted FIAS the status of an IPC Recognized International Federation.

The development of SAMBO continues to resonate across the global sports community. We were delighted to see our discipline return to The World Games, which were held with great success this year in Chengdu, China. This milestone, along with the active efforts of our continental and national federations, strengthens our belief that SAMBO’s popularity will continue to grow – demonstrating its universality and appeal on the world stage.

 I would like to express my gratitude to the State Agency for Physical Culture and Sports under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, the SAMBO Federation of Kyrgyz Republic, as well as our General Partner Rosneft and Official Partner VTB Bank for their invaluable support in organizing and hosting the World Championships,” said FIAS President Vasily Shestakov.

Fans around the world will be able to enjoy all the thrilling action from Bishkek through the live broadcast on the Sambo.Live video platform, as well as on various TV channels worldwide.