International “Ivan Doktorov” Tournament: Sofia Welcomes Young SAMBO Athletes from 11 Countries

The 4th International SAMBO Tournament among cadets in memory of Ivan Doktorov took place on 11 July at the “Sofia” sports hall in the Bulgarian capital. The competition, organized by the Balkan SAMBO Association, brings together young athletes from across the region every year and has become a significant international tournament for young SAMBO practitioners.

The tournament was held under the auspices of the European SAMBO Federation with the support of the Bulgarian SAMBO Federation. According to the organising committee, more than 130 athletes from 11 countries competed on the SAMBO mats.

“Support from the continental federation is recognition of the high organizational and sporting standard of the competition, as well as its growing significance in the international youth SAMBO calendar,” the tournament's organizing committee said in a statement. “The “Sofia” hall became a true celebration of SAMBO: spectators, coaches, official guests and parents of the participants witnessed hard-fought contests held in an atmosphere of fair sporting competition and mutual respect.”

A distinctive feature of this year's tournament was the expanded range of participating countries. In addition to the traditional teams from the Balkan states, athletes from Armenia, Italy and France travelled to Sofia to compete.

Young athletes with special educational needs also took part in the tournament, as they do every year – the Balkan SAMBO Association continues to provide them with the opportunity to compete alongside their peers.

During the awards ceremony, special cups for the best technique were also presented. The prize in the women's category went to Bulgarian athlete Kostadina Petrushinova, while among the men, Greek representative Grigor Arutyunyan was recognized as the most technical competitor. Both athletes were honored for their confident command of SAMBO's technical arsenal and their skill on the mats.

The organizers emphasize that the tournament is not simply a sporting contest, but also a way of preserving the memory of Ivan Doktorov, a Bulgarian athlete and coach who upheld the principles of honesty, courage and fairness in SAMBO throughout his life.

On the day following the competition, tournament participants took part in a masterclass led by Honoured Master of Sport in SAMBO Dimitar Dimitrov. Rather than a straightforward demonstration of techniques, the session was structured around correcting mistakes the coach had observed while watching the previous day's contests. Dimitar Dimitrov analysed the most common technical and tactical errors made by the young athletes and built the masterclass around addressing them.

Particular attention was given to properly breaking grips, controlling an opponent, and effective work on the ground. The coach demonstrated technical details specific to SAMBO that often go unnoticed but can determine the outcome of an evenly matched contest.

Participants did not simply observe the demonstrations – they practised the techniques themselves, asked questions and received individual guidance, with a breakdown of body positioning, balance and timing for each technical action.

“The value of the session lay in the fact that the situations discussed were directly linked to specific moments from the contests that had just taken place: this helped the young athletes recognize their own mistakes and understand how to act with greater confidence in future tournaments,” said Dimitar Dimitrov.

The masterclass concluded with a group photograph – a fitting close to two days that brought together young SAMBO athletes from different countries, united by their shared love of the sport.