World Cadet, Youth & Junior SAMBO Championships 2026 Concludes in Thessaloniki

The World Cadet, Youth & Junior SAMBO Championships, featuring both male and female, took place on October 2-4 in Thessaloniki, Greece.

The tournament set a new record for participation: 713 athletes from 40 countries competed on the mats of PAOK Sports Arena, the highest number in the history of the event. The competition was held across three age groups, with 55 sets of medals awarded to athletes from 25 countries.

Team Russia topped the overall medal standings, which rank nations by medal value, winning 51 medals in total – 33 gold, 11 silver and 7 bronze. Mongolia finished second with 13 medals (4-3-6), while Ukraine rounded out the top three with 27 medals (3-6-18).

Russian athletes claimed the team title in every discipline except Juniors' Combat SAMBO, where Turkmenistan took the top spot with 6 medals, including 3 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze.

Results of the World Cadet, Youth & Junior SAMBO Championships 2026 in Thessaloniki, Greece

“This tournament showed that SAMBO has a bright future: the younger generation from countries around the world demonstrated a high level of technical skill, a strong will to win, and respect for their opponents. Perhaps it was on this very mat that fans caught their first glimpse of future SAMBO stars – athletes who will soon be shining on the world stage of our beloved sport, with representation more diverse than ever before,” said FIAS President Vasily Shestakov.