Armenian SAMBO Championship and Cadet&Junior Tournament Held in Yerevan

The Armenian SAMBO Championship took place on March 16 at the Dynamo Hall in the capital city of Yerevan. Athletes from all over the country competed for medals in both Sport and Combat SAMBO, with competitions held for both men and women. More than 80 athletes participated in the event.

According to the Armenian SAMBO Federation, this national championship served as a selection tournament for forming Armenia’s national team. In April, Armenian SAMBO athletes will compete at the European SAMBO Championships, and the winners of the national event have now become candidates for the Armenian squad.

Among these candidates is Avetik Poghosyan, who competed in Combat SAMBO.

"All the hard work in training paid off today as I became the Armenian SAMBO champion. Now, I will prepare with even greater determination for the European Championships, where I will face the strongest competitors from different countries," said Avetik Poghosyan, the Armenian Combat SAMBO champion in the up-to-88 kg weight category.

Before this tournament, Tamara Grigoryan had already secured four gold medals in Armenia’s youth and junior championships across different age groups. This time, she faced the challenge of competing in the senior championship for the first time.

"I took my preparation for this competition very seriously and stepped onto the mat in excellent physical condition. Although my weight category was not the most crowded, winning was not easy. But the most important thing is that I now have a senior Armenian SAMBO Championship gold medal in my collection. I want to express my deep gratitude to my coach – this day feels like a dream come true!" said Tamara Grigoryan, the Armenian Sport SAMBO champion in the women's up-to-54 kg category.

Symbolically, just a week before the senior championship, the Armenian Cadet&Junior SAMBO Championship was also held in Yerevan. Over two days, on March 8-9, Armenia’s young SAMBO athletes competed to determine the strongest and secure a place in the national team.

While cadets competed only in Sport SAMBO, the junior category featured both Sport and Combat SAMBO competitions. One of the champions in the Combat SAMBO tournament was Vadis Ambartsumyan.

"This was my first time competing in the Armenian Junior Championship, and I won gold in the up-to-71 kg Combat SAMBO category. My victory is the result of hard work and dedication under the guidance of my incredible coach. Now, I will give my all at international tournaments to prove that I am worthy of representing Armenia as part of the national team," said national champion Vadis Ambartsumyan.