The first Chinese Student SAMBO Championship was held in Wuyuan

The first ever Chinese SAMBO Championship among students was held in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province from December 3 to 7. More than 200 athletes from 30 universities across the country took part in the tournament organized by the Chinese University Sports Association.

Representatives of educational institutions such as Zhengzhou University, Wuhan Institute of Physical Education, Shanxi Normal University, Henan University, Shandong Institute of Physical Education, Changchun Normal University, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Police Academy and others competed for medals at the Chinese student championship.

The holding of the tournament was entrusted to the judo department of the Chinese University Sports Association and personally to its general secretary Gong Maofu. As a pioneer in the development of SAMBO in China, General Secretary Gong has coordinated and organized many activities to train SAMBO coaches and referees at the national level for several years. Working closely with the International Sambo Federation, he laid the foundation for the development of this sport in China, which made it possible to hold the country's first ever championship among students.

An important role in organizing the tournament was also played by the Deputy Dean of the School of Competitive Sports of the Wuhan Institute of Sports, the head coach of the Chinese student judo team Zhang Haojie, the former head coach of the Chinese national judo team, member of the arbitration committee Hong Hao, as well as the dean of the Wushu Academy of Henan University, chief international judo referee Wang Guoqiao.

On the eve of the start of the championship, seminars were held for coaches and referees, at which the features of competitions and refereeing on SAMBO matches were discussed.

Doctoral students Ge Xiaolong and Mao Wenjie, supervised by the FIAS executive director, Professor Sergey Tabakov, gave lectures and reports to the participants. During preparation and during the tournament, they worked closely with coaches and referees on various issues.

“The championship provided a platform for athletes to share skills and strengthen relationships. Due to the excitement and rich cultural meaning of SAMBO, these competitions attracted many students with background knowledge in Judo, Chinese Wrestling, Freestyle Wrestling and Greco-Roman Wrestling to participate. SAMBO competitions provide participants with an excellent platform to show their style and appreciate the unique charm of SAMBO,” the tournament’s organizing committee said in a statement.

The tournament was held in a playoff format with elimination after defeat. The participants were divided into four groups depending on the level of preparedness of the athletes. Based on the results of several days of intense competition, several dozen medals were awarded for the first Chinese Student SAMBO Championship.

“The successful holding of the first national competitions means that the development of SAMBO in China has reached a certain milestone. The event was organized at a good level and will be able to launch a wave of SAMBO training among Chinese students. I am confident that the first champions at the national level will contribute to the further development of the SAMBO movement in China,” FIAS Executive Director Sergey Tabakov said.