International SAMBO tournament in memory of Ivan Doktorov was held in Bulgaria for the second time

The tradition that began in Bulgarian SAMBO a year ago continued in Sofia. The international charity SAMBO tournament among cadets in memory of the Honored Master of Sports, Honored Coach Ivan Doktorov took place on July 2. The competition was organized by the Association of Bulgarian Sambists (ABS) with the support of the authorities of the city of Ihtiman.

If the first tournament brought together athletes from 5 countries, now more than 130 cadets from 9 countries took part in the competition. Representatives from Armenia, Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Moldova, North Macedonia, Ukraine and, of course, Bulgaria competed for medals.

“This tournament is unique and has no analogues in the world of SAMBO. The organizing committee does not charge entry fees from teams and also provides all participants with free accommodation and meals. We consider this very important for the development of SAMBO among youth, so the tournament is financed in Bulgaria by sponsors and SAMBO fans, as well as by the authorities of Ihtiman, the hometown of Ivan Doktorov,” noted Dimitar Dimitrov, Chairman of the ABS, a close friend of Ivan Doktorov.

Speaking at the opening of the tournament, he emphasized that with this tournament he strives to introduce a new policy for the development of SAMBO, where pure love and sports spirit are a priority. He expressed the opinion that sports should be run by people of integrity and values ​​who can be role models for young people, and Ivan Doktorov was just such a person.

In addition to medals for victories, awards were presented in individual categories at the tournament. The two most technical participants in the tournament won the Ivan Doctorov cups.

“The event was a great celebration for the Bulgarian sambists of the 1970s and 1980s, who were invited as honored guests of the tournament. They were presented with pins with the inscription “Legend”, and were also given a special place at the arena. During the opening ceremony, the announcer introduced each of these sambists by name. In this way, continuity was established between the young guys who were on the mat and the titled athletes, before whose eyes they fought,” said Dimitrov.

Ivan Doktorov, after whom this tournament is named, was an Honored Master of Sports in SAMBO, European champion of 1976 and multiple world champion among masters. Co-founder of the ABS and a passionate fan of Bulgarian SAMBO, Ivan Doktorov died suddenly from illness in 2021. The tournament named after him was first held in 2023.