SAMBO Makes Historic Debut at Philippines' Premier Youth Games

SAMBO stepped onto the national stage of Philippines for the first time as a demonstration event at the 2025 Batang Pinoy National Championships – the Philippines' most prestigious youth sports competition.

According to Paolo Tancontian, President of the Philippines SAMBO Federation, the inclusion marks a breakthrough moment for the sport in the archipelago nation.

Nearly 100 young SAMBO athletes from 10 cities across the Philippines converged on General Santos City to compete in 25 Sport SAMBO categories spanning kids, cadet, and youth divisions for both boys and girls. The turnout demonstrated not just the sport's growing reach, but the dedication of young Filipino athletes eager to test themselves on the mat.

Organized by the Philippine Sports Commission, the demonstration event gave SAMBO a prominent platform at the Batang Pinoy National Championships – a competition that has long served as a launching pad for the Philippines' future sports stars.

While officially a demonstration event, the competition carried real significance. For the young athletes involved, it was a chance to represent their cities and showcase skills honed through countless training sessions. For SAMBO in the Philippines, it was an opportunity to prove the sport deserves a permanent place in the national youth sports landscape.

“With nearly 100 athletes competing and representation from 10 different cities, the demonstration event showed that SAMBO has established roots across the Philippines. The Philippine Sports Commission's decision to include the sport signals recognition of its growing popularity and potential,” Paolo Tancontian said.

He also added, that this historic debut at the Batang Pinoy National Championships may well be remembered as the moment when SAMBO truly arrived on the Filipino sports scene.