Pan American SAMBO Championships Held in Ecuador for the First Time

From June 27 to 29, the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, hosted the Pan American SAMBO Championships – the largest continental tournament organized by the Pan American SAMBO Union (UPASA) with the support of the Ecuadorian SAMBO Clubs Association. For the first time in history, Ecuador welcomed this major international sporting event, bringing together top SAMBO athletes from across the region.

The tournament featured three SAMBO disciplines: Sport SAMBO, Combat SAMBO, and Beach SAMBO. The main competition was preceded by a series of educational events. From June 24 to 26, the Polideportivo Huancavilca Sports Complex hosted Pan American seminars for coaches and referees. The annual UPASA Congress also took place in Guayaquil.

The José Desimavilla Arena served as the venue for Sport and Combat SAMBO bouts on June 27 and 28, while the final day of the tournament, June 29, was dedicated to Beach SAMBO. Individual and team champions were crowned on the beach courts of FEDEGUAYAS.

Competition Results

Overall team standings in Sport and Combat SAMBO:

1. Venezuela (8 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze)

2. Costa Rica (5 gold, 6 silver, 5 bronze)

3. Mexico (5 gold, 4 silver, 6 bronze)

Top teams by discipline:

Sport SAMBO – Men: 1. Brazil, 2. Mexico, 3. Venezuela

Sport SAMBO – Women: 1. Costa Rica, 2. Venezuela, 3. Ecuador

Combat SAMBO – Men: 1. Costa Rica, 2. Mexico, 3. Venezuela

Combat SAMBO – Women: 1. Venezuela, 2. Costa Rica, 3. Mexico

Beach SAMBO – Men: 1. Venezuela, 2. Brazil, 3. Costa Rica

Beach SAMBO – Women: 1. Dominican Republic, 2. Ecuador, 3. Venezuela

Beach SAMBO – Team Competition: 1. Dominican Republic, 2. Honduras, 3. Ecuador and Mexico

UPASA President Eliseo Romero congratulated the hosts and participants on the successful organization and high level of the tournament:

"I congratulate Ecuador on successfully hosting the country’s first-ever continental SAMBO championship. This is a significant step not only for national development, but for the entire region. We witnessed a clear rise in athletes’ technical levels, the emergence of promising new talent across different countries, and genuine competitive spirit. Pan American SAMBO is growing, and we will continue to move forward – with confidence, with ambition, and with belief in the strength of our sport."

According to Romero, the Championships in Guayaquil served not only as a venue for elite competition, but also as a hub for professional dialogue, exchange of experience, and the strengthening of the SAMBO community across the Americas. The next step, he said, is to expand the geography of events, elevate coaching and officiating standards, and further promote the popularity of SAMBO on the continent.