May 2013: forewarned is forearmed

“Forewarned is forearmed”. The whole world knows this popular expression. Following it, we decided to prepare for the upcoming month and find out what is in store for our SAMBO world in May. Today FIAS Press Office is ready to tell you about what Continental SAMBO Championships will reveal the best SAMBO athletes in the near future, as well as who may become a new Sport Accord President.

So, let’s start with the awards. The Continental SAMBO Championships medals will be competed for at the main African and European SAMBO starts. The African athletes will reveal the strongest athletes in Casablanca (Morocco) on May 4 and 5. A little earlier, on May 3 SAMBO movement leaders will gather here at the African SAMBO Confederation Congress.

Europe will also bring together its cream, both sports and managing, in Crema (Italy). Presidents of National Federations will participate in the European SAMBO Federation Congress on May 17. And athletes will fight on SAMBO mats on May 18, 19 and 20.

Let us proceed from awards to elections and meetings. From 26th to 31th of May in St Petersburg (Russia) the annual Sport Accord Convention will take place, which joins together 107 international organizations representing 91 international sports federations and 16 associate members. In addition to the usual work the Sport Accord members will have to choose a new President. Let’s remind that from 2004 to the present day it is headed by the Dutchman Hein Verbruggen. Among the candidates for this senior position the following ones are on the list now: the President of the International Judo Federation, the Austrian, born in Romania, Marius Vizer, the President of the International Cycling Union, the Irishman, Pat McQuaid and the President of the International Rowing Federation, the Swiss, Denis Oswald.

We’d like to tell you briefly about our colleague, who is a person from the world of combat sports, 54-year old Vizer, many sports analysts call him a favorite of the presidential race. He has been heading the International Judo Federation since 2007. One of his most significant achievements in judo – is the introduction of a new competitions system, which now consists of 12 Grand Prix, 4 Grand Slams Tournaments and a unique meeting – the World Masters, which takes place in the middle of the year and gathers 16 strongest judoists of each of the seven judo weight categories among men and women. Judo competitions judging system has undergone significant, but widely discussed and currently criticized changes during the period he has been the President. Rules vary systematically and are continuously tested, and Marius Vizer sees the main purpose of these changes in judo staginess and attractiveness increase from the point of view of the TV world.

A bright stroke of Vizer’s election campaign – is the plan to launch a single World Championship for many sports, the essence of which – is to present the maximum number of sports, both Olympic and non-Olympic, to the audience for up to three weeks.

Well, the candidates are known, their election programs have been announced and soon we will tell you who a new Sport Accord Head will be, the organization, the member of which is FIAS, along with 91 international sports federations. And of course, we’ll tell you about the medalists of the African Championship in Casablanca and European Championship in Crema.

Read about it in the materials of our website in the very near future.

Natalia Yukhareva,
www.sambo.sport