The National Sambo Championship named after Jovany Varela was held in Honduras

The third national Sambo Championship of Honduras named after Jovany Varela was held on April 6 in the Olympic village in Tegucigalpa. Competitions took place in Sport and Combat SAMBO among both men and women. The tournament became the largest national championship in the history of Honduran SAMBO: 122 athletes from 4 cities took part in the competition.

The event was attended by honored guests: Secretary General of the Honduran Olympic Committee Ubaldo Zavala, as well as President of the Pan American Sambo Union (UPASA) Eliseo Romero. They witnessed the success of the Honduras SAMBO Federation (FEDEHSAMBO), led by its President Jorge Miselem – recognition by the country's National Congress that the federation had previously received.

According to the tournament organizers, one of the most emotional moments of the championship was the honoring of Jovani Varela. He is called one of the founders of SAMBO in Honduras: from the moment Jovany Varela conducted his first SAMBO training on July 21, 1995, he devoted decades of his life to the development and promotion of this sport in the country. An iconic figure in the history of SAMBO in Honduras, today Varela is the technical director of the local federation.

The head of national SAMBO, Jorge Miselem, who is also a Pan American champion in Combat SAMBO, being a direct student of Jovani Varela, noted the enormous influence and leadership of his teacher in the success of Honduran SAMBO, as well as his contribution to the personal and professional growth of many athletes.

Jorge Miselem also expressed his gratitude to Eliseo Romero for his constant support of Honduran SAMBO. Romero, in turn, highly appreciated the work done by the President of the Honduras SAMBO Federation and his team:

“Today’s event demonstrates clear growth in the development of Honduran SAMBO. More than a hundred sambists took part in the competition, and Honduras can already boast of winners of the Pan American Championships. I am glad to see that SAMBO in Honduras does not stand still, and the athletes are showing good results,” said Romero.

“This championship was not only a sporting event, but also a tribute to the dedication and commitment of those who contributed to the development of SAMBO in Honduras and continue to do everything for the benefit of this sport. The event marked an important milestone in the history of SAMBO in the country, which tells us about the promising future of this discipline at the national and international levels,” Jorge Miselem concluded.