FIAS President Vasily Shestakhov is set to meet with his AASC counterpart Ahmed Nasser early next year to discuss sambo's potential inclusion in future editions of the African Games ©FIAS

International Sambo Federation (FIAS) President Vasily Shestakhov is set to meet with his Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC) counterpart Ahmed Nasser early next year to discuss the sport’s potential inclusion in future editions of the continent’s quadrennial Games.

A FIAS spokesperson told insidethegames that Shestakhov is set to travel to Egypt in February, when he will hold talks with Nasser.

African Sambo Confederation President Sidi Mohamed Dalil Essakali, who is also a FIAS vice-president, had suggested that an agreement had already been reached for sambo to feature at the next edition of the African Games in 2019.

This came during a press conference held before the start of the 2017 World Sambo Championships here.

Shestakov admitted in November 2015 that a dispute between the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the AASC over who would run the African Games from that point onwards presented a "difficult situation".

In October 2016, a provisional agreement was signed in Egypt’s capital Cairo between ANOCA, the African Union Sports Commission (AUSC) and the AASC in what was hailed as an important step towards relieving tensions between the three groups.

The AUSC would keep ownership of the Games, it was decided, while ANOCA would organise, manage and run them.

The AASC would have been entrusted with the technical coordination in a re-branded event formally known as the All-Africa Games.

Niger are among the African nations competing at the ongoing World Sambo Championships in Sochi ©FIAS
Niger are among the African nations competing at the ongoing World Sambo Championships in Sochi ©FIAS

Having already secured its place on the sports programmes of the Asian Games and European Games, sambo is also currently looking to break into the Pan-American Games.

It is all geared towards the sport's main goal of gaining recognition from the International Olympic Committee, something which Shestakov vowed to achieve following his re-election as FIAS President at yesterday’s Congress here in Sochi.

Nasser was among those in attendance at the Congress. 

A new host is being sought for the 2019 African Games after Equatorial Guinea announced that they would no longer be able to organise the event.

This was made clear following an ANOCA Executive Committee meeting in Czech Republic’s capital Prague earlier this month.

No other country is yet thought to have expressed interest, although Ghana is supposedly considering a bid for the next edition in 2023.

Equatorial Guinea was named as 2019 host last year in what would have marked the first time the west African country had formed the location for the event.

A specific location was not chosen and little progress appeared to have taken place in the last 12 months.