Iran's Historic Golden Moment of Seyedmaysam Banitaba Khoramanadi

The 2025 World SAMBO Championships witnessed a truly historic achievement as Iran's Seyedmaysam Banitaba Khoramanadi claimed his nation's first-ever gold medal at the tournament, triumphing in the men's under 64 kg Blind SAMBO (SVI-1) category.

Standing on the podium, the emotion was palpable. For Banitaba Khoramanadi, this wasn't just another medal – it was the culmination of years of dedication and a significant upgrade from his silver medal performance at last year's World Championships.

"I'm very happy. That was a very nice and good competition," Banitaba Khoramanadi said to FIAS website moments after receiving his gold medal. "The competition was at a high level, and thanks to God who helped me in winning this nice medal."

From Silver to Gold

This marked the Iranian athlete's second appearance at the World SAMBO Championships, and he spoke candidly about what it took to improve on his previous silver medal finish.

"I think SAMBO is a sport where you need a little bit of luck to win gold," he explained. "This year, I had more luck than last year and that little chance helped me win this medal."

A Journey Through Combat Sports

Before making his mark in SAMBO, Banitaba Khoramanadi was a judoka, having competed at the Paris Paralympics in judo.

"SAMBO and judo are brothers, I think. Both of them are very interesting and amazing, with some differences in the rules," he said. "I can't say which one is better – I love them both."

The SAMBO Difference

What sets SAMBO apart for Banitaba Khoramanadi is the unique integration of Blind SAMBO athletes into the main World Championships, competing alongside their sighted counterparts in front of large crowds and extensive media coverage.

"In judo, our competitions and World Championships are not held together with normal judoka," he noted. "But in SAMBO, we come to competitions together, and it's very interesting and amazing. For this reason, I love SAMBO competitions more. It's very amazing when blind and normal sambists have competitions together in one day."

Paralympic Dreams and Future Goals

With the International SAMBO Federation recently receiving recognition from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the conversation naturally turned to SAMBO's potential Olympic future.

"I think SAMBO is a very nice competition, and the IPC should include SAMBO in the Paralympic Games," Banitaba Khoramanadi stated. "The athletes in SAMBO are very strong and have very good activity."

This gold medal held special significance for the Iranian champion, who had to make a difficult choice to be in competition that day.

"I had an invitation and could have gone to a judo competition in Asia, but I preferred to come to the World SAMBO Championships instead," he revealed. "This medal is very important to me, and I wanted to improve on last year's result."

When asked about his next goals, his answer was clear and ambitious: "I want to come to the World Championships again next year and win another gold medal."

A Historic Achievement

Seyedmaysam Banitaba Khoramanadi's gold medal represents more than personal success – it's a watershed moment for Iranian SAMBO and a testament to the growing strength of Blind SAMBO worldwide. As the first Iranian to stand atop the World SAMBO Championships podium, he has opened a new chapter in his country's combat sports history and can inspire a generation of athletes to follow in his footsteps.