Korea Open SAMBO Championship held in Chungnam

The 2026 Korea Open SAMBO Championship – the Korea SAMBO Federation's flagship international tournament – took place on 13 September at Sangmyeong University's sports hall in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province.

The competition brought together more than 300 athletes and officials from 12 countries: Australia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Competitors spanned a wide range of age categories – from preschoolers and elementary school pupils to cadets, juniors and adults – who demonstrated their skills in both Sport SAMBO and Combat SAMBO.

FIAS President Vasily Shestakov sent a welcoming address to the tournament, praising the development of SAMBO in the Republic of Korea.

The opening ceremony was attended by senior representatives of government, business and international sports organizations, including CJ Group Chairman and Korea Employers Federation Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik, as well as East Asia SAMBO Union President Dorjpalam Gerel.

In his welcoming remarks, Sohn Kyung-shik highlighted the educational value of SAMBO:

“SAMBO teaches us to respect our opponents by upholding the principles of fair play, to remain humble in victory, and to find the courage to rise again after defeat. The spirit of SAMBO – combining strength with restraint and consideration for one's opponent – is a valuable virtue for our society.”

The tournament served as the final stage of high-level preparation for Korea's national team ahead of the 2026 World SAMBO Championships, to be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Korea SAMBO Federation President and FIAS Executive Committee member Moon Sung-chon underlined the significance of the event:

“This championship was an important platform where athletes from 12 countries competed fiercely against one another while strengthening international friendship. We will continue to build on this momentum to enhance the international competitiveness of our athletes and expand sports diplomacy around the world.”