SAMBO to Make Its Debut in the Program of the Central American Games

SAMBO competitions will be held on October 26 in the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, as part of the XII Central American Games. This year marks a historic milestone – SAMBO will officially join the program of one of the region’s largest sporting events, held under the auspices of the Central American Sports Organization (ORDECA).

The tournament will take place at the Villa Olímpica complex, bringing together the strongest sambists from across Central America. Athletes from ORDECA member countries will take part, with participants selected by their National Olympic Committees.

Competitions will be held in Sport SAMBO for both men and women. Athletes will compete for 14 sets of medals in the following weight categories:

Sport SAMBO (Men): 58 kg, 64 kg, 71 kg, 79 kg, 88 kg, 98 kg, +98 kg

Sport SAMBO (Women): 50 kg, 54 kg, 59 kg, 65 kg, 72 kg, 80 kg, +80 kg

“In 2017, SAMBO was featured as a demonstration sport at the previous Central American Games held in Nicaragua. The competitions attracted great public interest and became one of the highlights of the event. Today, SAMBO returns to the Games arena – this time as an integral part of the Central American sports family,” said Eliseo Romero, President of the Pan American SAMBO Union (UPASA), on the eve of the tournament.

According to FIAS President Vasily Shestakov, “the inclusion of SAMBO in the Central American Games program is yet another confirmation of the growing popularity of our sport across the continent, and a result of many years of work by the Pan American national federations.”

The Central American Games have been held since 1973. ORDECA unites the National Olympic Committees of seven Central American countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. The 2025 edition of the Games will be the 12th in history, featuring 42 sports, and will take place from October 18 to 30 across three countries – Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama.