The Congress of the Pan American SAMBO Union was held in Colombia

The Congress of the Pan American SAMBO Union took place on July 16 in Villavicencio (Colombia). The event was attended by representatives of 17 countries of the continent: Brazil, Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, USA, Trinidad and Tabago, Uruguay, Chile, Ecuador and Jamaica.

During the meeting, the features of the competition in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the features of the promotion of SAMBO in the media and social networks, as well as other issues of SAMBO development on the Pan American continent were discussed.

In the final part, the Congress delegates voted to include the national SAMBO federations of Haiti and Jamaica in the organization. Vice President of FIAS, President of the Pan American SAMBO Union Omar Lopera commented on the Congress:

“Today we have summed up the results of the work of the Pan American SAMBO Union over the past year. All participants agreed that SAMBO is developing intensively, and its popularity in the Pan American region is constantly growing. This is best evidenced by the number of athletes and participating countries coming to the continental competitions. This year's Pan American Championship is taking place in Colombia, and despite the restrictions caused by COVID-19, the number of participants is still high. I am confident that next year, when the pandemic weakens, we will set a new record for the number of participants."

By the decision of the Congress, the venue for the next continental tournament was also approved. The Pan American SAMBO Championships 2022 will be held in Costa Rica.