Armenia again in the SAMBO spotlight as World Cup heads to Yerevan. FIAS

The SAMBO World Cup will take place in Yerevan, Armenia from 4-5 April. The World Cup is a qualifying tournament where competitors can gain their first ranking points of the year. For combat sambists, it is one of the selection stages for the World Games, which will be held in Chengdu, China, from 7 to 17 August 2025.

The competitions in Yerevan will be held in the following weight categories:

Sport SAMBO (men): 58 kg, 64 kg, 71 kg, 79 kg, 88 kg, 98 kg and +98 kg.

Sport SAMBO (women): 50 kg, 54 kg, 59 kg, 65 kg, 72 kg, 80 kg and +80 kg.

Combat SAMBO (men): 58 kg, 64 kg, 71 kg, 79 kg, 88 kg, 98 kg and +98 kg.

Combat SAMBO (women): 54 kg, 59 kg, 65 kg, 72 kg and 80 kg.


"The Armenian capital is increasingly hosting major SAMBO tournaments, and this year will be no exception: in addition to the World SAMBO Cup, the Cup of the President of the National Olympic Committee of Armenia, Gagik Tsarukyan, will be also held here in August," said Vasily Shestakov, President of the International Sambo Federation.

"I am sure that the forthcoming World Cup will be remembered by the participants and spectators not only for the brilliant and spectacular fights, but also for the presence in the programme of the discipline of women's Combat SAMBO, which is gradually becoming an integral part of all international competitions," he added.

Yerevan hosted the SAMBO World Championships in November 2023. FIAS
Yerevan hosted the SAMBO World Championships in November 2023. FIAS

According to Mikhail Hayrapetyan, President of the Armenian SAMBO Federation, the World Championships will be held in Yerevan every year. Ukrainian and Russian athletes will present a full team in Yerevan. Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete as Individual Neutral Athletes. Azerbaijan and Turkey have refused to take part in the tournament for political reasons.

"Armenia is known in SAMBO as the most hospitable, the most attractive country and everybody comes to Armenia with great pleasure and we are grateful to them that we are doing the same job together," Hayrapetyan concluded at the press conference.