Weekly digest: Russian celebration, Mexican and Paraguayan tournaments, and Colombian socks

Which Russian Sambo fighters were personally congratulated by Russian President Vladimir Putin? When will the first national Sambo championship of Mexico be held? Which Paraguayan sports complex will play host to the Sambo fervour? How did Colombian Sambo fighters invent socks for Sambo and why has this made them unbelievably popular? The answers to these questions and more are all here in the digest of the FIAS website.

Russia

On 31 October, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the Russian athletes who were victorious at the II World Martial Arts Games recently held in St Petersburg. The ceremony was attended by the leaders of the Russian national Sambo team, Yevgeny Isayev, Ali Kurzhev, Marina Mokhnatkina and Yelena Bondareva as well as Russian national team head coach Dmitry Troshkin and Russian Sambo Federation President Sergei Yeliseyev.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the champions of the II World Martial Arts Games. He noted that Russians have managed to win medals in almost all types of sports. Martial arts have always involved a respect for one’s partner and are beneficial not only in sports, but in life as well, he said. Putin thanked the athletes for putting on a great show and wished them success in the future.

Mexico

Mexican Sambo fighters are preparing for their first victories at the national level. The Mexican capital will host its first ever national Sambo championship tomorrow, November 2. Representatives of several states in which this form of martial arts is most actively developing will gather at the Fronton Inclan sports complex to determine who is currently the strongest. The ones that are able to prove their superiority over their opponents will begin preparing for the Sambo World Championship in St Petersburg (Russia) after the national tournament.

Paraguay

The Paraguayan national Sambo championship will also debut on the same day, November 2. Local athletes will come together to compete in the country’s capital city of Asuncion. Sambo fervour will take over the Ameliano sports centre for an entire day, and the names of the first Sambo champions of Paraguay will be announced based on the results of the competition. The event organisers say this tournament marks the start of the calendar of competitions at the national level, which are intended to support the development of Sambo around the world.

Colombia

Colombian Sambo fighters have shown off a unique invention. They conceived and invented … training socks. Made from a special material, these socks resemble the customary wrestling footwear and are just as good functionally. The Sambo fighters who have already tested the new invention say they are comfortable on the mats and have proven to be excellent in training. These affordable socks can be worn for a long time and are suitable for both adults and children. Another benefit is that three sizes of the socks fit nine foot sizes. They are also warm and comfortable.

“We launched this project to promote Sambo at a low cost,” Colombian Sambo Federation President Omar Lopera said. “I hope our invention will help in this process. We are already using these socks in training now and they are very comfortable. Everyone who learns about our invention asks for a pair of the socks in order to personally test them out. Perhaps in the future we will manage to establish their mass production”.

By Alexander Solomakhin

www.sambo.sport