World SAMBO Championships in Riga: first day and first medals

Riga has welcomed the World SAMBO Championships. The history of Riga is more eight centuries long. This beautiful European city has always displayed a distinct cosmopolitan character. Already in the XIX century representatives of all major ethnic groups which had an impact on its lifestyle and culture arrived here. First they were the Livonians, the Latvians, the Germans, and the Jews. Then the Russians, the Ukrainians, the Belorussian, the Poles, the Lithuanians, the Estonians and the Armenians. They all made their contributed to the image of Riga. And today representatives of all these nations, which had once shaped an image of a local dweller, as well as representatives from other 15 countries, are the guests of the World SAMBO Championships. SAMBO has gathered in the capital Riga city nearly 400 competitors from 24 countries of the world. On the first competition day of the World Championships in Riga’s Olympic Sports Palace medals in 48kg, 60kg and 75kg for boys and 40kg, 52kg and 65kg for girls were decided. In juniors division representatives of 48kg, 62kg and 82kg appeared on the mat for boys and 44kg, 56kg and 68kg for girls. The FIAS President Mr. Vasily Shestakov and the Riga Duma Deputy Mr. Mikhail Tolstoy participated in the opening ceremony. The SAMBO competition was also attended by the Presidents of the Latvian Olympic Committee Mr. Aldonis Vrublevskis and the General Secretary of the LOC Mr. Einars Fogelis. By their attendance they seemed to be in agreement with the FIAS higher goal of joining the Olympic family. So, who shined on the Riga mats in the first day of the Championships? Four gold medals each were won by athletes from Kazakhstan and Russia. Sambo wrestlers from Armenia and Bulgaria, Mongolia and Georgia also won first gold medals for their countries. Clear favorites were not the only SAMBO athletes who displayed confident wrestling and won medals. Blazaityte Meda from Lithuania won bronze medal in 65kg among youth and Lithuanian athlete Mikulionyte Ieva in 56kg among juniors won bronze medal too. The first competition day of the World Championships is over, two more are ahead, which will bring on interesting victories and discover future starts of SAMBO. Results: 40 kg – youth w Tzvetanova Tzvetelina (BUL) Lazutina Ekaterina (RUS) Tymkiv Anna ( UKR) Nurmakhanova Gulailym (KAZ) 52 кг – youth w Almukhanbetova Guldana (KAZ) Mirzaeva Malikabonu (UZB) Khachatryan Roza (ARM) Novikova Yulia (RUS) 65 кг – youth w Baldorj Mungunchimeg (MGL) Rozhdestvenskaya Vladislava (RUS) Blazaityte Meda (LTU) Onalbayeva Sagynysh (KAZ) 48 кг – juniors m Kanzhanov Beimet (KAZ) Enchinov Kudaybergen (RUS) Manukyan Maksim (ARM) Umbaev Nasimi (AZE) 62 кг – juniors m Balykov Vladimir (RUS) Tatarashvili Tornike (GEO) Tonoyan Karen (ARM) Tutkhalian Vae (BLR) 82 кг – juniors m Govyadin Sergey (RUS) Zurabiani Lasha (GEO) Aghayev Azar (AZE) Karapetyan Mher (ARM) 44 кг – juniors w Kretova Nadiia (UKR) Iskakova Dinara (KAZ) Masharova Lyubov (RUS) Jagvaral Chantsaldulam (MGL) 56 кг – juniors w Shainkarenko Anastasia (RUS) Vatsova Gergana (BUL) Mikulionyte Ieva (LTU) Prokopenko Maria (UKR) 68 кг- juniors w Umiralieva Dilbar (KAZ) Artoshina Olga (RUS) Tkachuk Svitlana (UKR) Nikogosyan Marine (BUL)