Sergey Eliseev, the President of the All-Russian Sambo Federation, and Renate Laysheva, general director of the Sambo-70 sports and education centre, were awarded for the successful organisation during an event held in Moscow.

The event was attended by three members of the Committee; Vyacheslav Fetisov, Svetlana Zhurova and Arthur Taymazov.

The 2017 World Sambo Championships took place at the Iceberg Skating Palace, which hosted competition in figure skating and short track speed skating during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games, from November 10 to 12.

More than 1,000 athletes from over 90 countries competed for the 27 sets of medals on offer.

Eliseev claims that the number of participants is "an indicator that demonstrates the development of sambo not only in the post-Soviet space, but throughout the world".

"We do a lot and will continue to do so to ensure that sambo continues to develop further and receives Olympic recognition in the near future," he was reported as saying by TASS.

Laysheva added: "Sambo is a national sport that started back in the Soviet times and we are proud of the fact that we are celebrated in the State Duma.

"I want to mention the athletes and coaches.

"It's their merit."

Russia topped the 2017 World Sambo Championship medal standings with 17 golds, three silvers and four bronzes.

Prior to the event, International Sambo Federation (FIAS) President Vasily Shestakov vowed to achieve sambo's "dream" of achieving recognition from the International Olympic Committee having been unanimously re-elected unopposed. 

The Russian, first elected to the post in 2009, was nominated by Eliseev and received the backing of all 80 of the FIAS member federations that voted at the world governing body’s Congress in Sochi.

The coming four years will be Shestakov's last with FIAS Presidents only permitted to serve three consecutive terms of that length in office.