- Monday, 28 August 2023
The Armenian Government has approved the country’s hosting of the 2023 World Sambo Championships during a Cabinet meeting.
The Championships were awarded to Armenia by the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) after Egypt withdrew its interest due to "changed circumstances."
They are due to be held in Yerevan from November 10 to 12.
Following the approval of an agenda item at the Cabinet meeting on ensuring the organisation of the World Sambo Championships, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said: "Yet another major international tournament will take place in Armenia in autumn."
He added: "Good luck to our athletes", as reported by Armen Press.
Explaining their decision to move the Championships to Yerevan, FIAS said they were impressed with Armenia’s hosting of the 2022 World Cadets, Youth and Junior Sambo Championships.
The 2022 World Sambo Championships was held in Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan with neutral athletes finishing top of the medal table with 14 golds, five silvers and 10 bronzes.
FIAS allowed Russian and Belarusian sambists to compete under a neutral banner at last year’s Championships.
The move led to Ukraine boycotting the event and at the time was against International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommendations.
The IOC changed its recommendations to International Federations in March, to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competitions as neutrals, provided they did not support the war in Ukraine and were not affiliated to the military.