- Saturday, 5 August 2023
Hosts Armenia won four gold medals at the SAMBO Cup of the President of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Armenia.
The tournament in Yerevan, which featured sambists from 21 countries, was held in the name of NOC of Armenia President Gagik Tsarukyan.
Competition was held across seven men’s categories and two women’s categories, with participants competing for a total prize fund of $200,000 (£156,000/€181,000).
The hosts four golds all came in men’s categories, with victories for David Hovsepyan at under-58 kilograms, Maksim Manukyan at under-64kg, Vahagn Chalyan at under-88kg and Arsen Khandzhian at under-98kg.
Other wins in male categories came courtesy of Rakhat Zhananiyet of Kazakhstan at under-71kg, Sarbon Ernazarov of Uzbekistan at under-79kg and Ilie Natea of Romania at +98kg.
In the female categories, victories went to Maria Amyulina Guedez, competing for the Refugee Sambo Team, in the under-54kg category.
The other female gold medallist in Yerevan was Elene Kebadze of Georgia, who won at +80kg.
Guedez was the first athlete representing the Refugee Sambo Team to win World Championship gold after her success in Bishkek last year at under-50kg.
Tsarukyan has been President of the NOC of Armenia since 2005.
He was declared the world armwrestling champion in 1996, founded the Prosperous Armenia political party in 2004, and is believed to be one of Armenia’s richest men.