Seychelles to host African Sambo Championship |18 February 2017
Seychelles will welcome a large number of athletes from across the African continent to its shores as it prepares to host the 2017 African Sambo Championship set for May 12-15.
The country has been part of the African Sambo Confederation since 2013 and although the federation itself has not been quite active, it boasts approximately 20 athletes.
The federation is led by the current chairperson of the Seychelles Judo Federation, Monique Athanase.
In light of Seychelles’ organisation of the championship, the president of the African Sambo Confederation, Dalil Skalli, is currently in Seychelles where on Thursday, he met the Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture Idith Alexander, to discuss matters relating to the hosting of the tournament.
The meeting was also attended by sports principal secretary Fabian Palmyre, sports technical advisor Jean Larue, National Sports Council (NSC) chief executive Giovanna Rousseau and Ms Athanase herself.
“The discussion was very good and we discussed the programme, where we had planned to have the tournament on August 2, but as there is another tournament locally at that time, we have decided to change it to May 12-15,” said Mr Skalli.
He added: “We also talked about the logistics of organising the tournament as well as the financing needed, so that it can be a success.”
Mr Skalli pointed out that it was in fact Ms Athanase who has been instrumental in bringing the championship here, stating that she has always been asking for Seychelles to host the championship and so they have decided to have it this year.
When Ms Athanase was asked about bringing such a tournament to Seychelles, despite the sport being practically unheard of by many, she said when she first saw the sport, she immediately fell in love with it.
“I think it is truly a very special sport. While judo has many rules and such attached to it, Sambo allows the competitors more freedom, where they can use various techniques, which make for a very exciting spectacle for those watching,” added Ms Athanase.
Seychelles has taken part in the championship in the past and has tasted some success with Francis Labrosse and Naddy Jeanne winning a gold medal each at the 2013 African Championship.
Labrosse won two out of three fights and his only defeat came at the hands of a Moroccan. As for Jeanne, he had to fight four times and he won all but one. His only loss was also to a Moroccan.
Sambo is a Soviet martial art and combat sport. The word ‘Sambo’" is an acronym for SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya, which literally translates as "self-defence without weapons". Sambo is relatively modern since its development began in the early 1920s by the Soviet Red Army to improve their hand-to-hand combat abilities. It was intended to be a merger of the most effective techniques of other martial arts.
The pioneers of Sambo were Viktor Spiridonov and Vasili Oshchepkov. Oshchepkov died in prison as a result of the Great Purge after being accused of being a Japanese spy. Oshchepkov spent several years living in Japan and training in judo under its founder Jigoro Kano.
There are multiple competitive sport variations of Sambo (though Sambo techniques and principles can be applied to many other combat sports). The following are the main formats that are recognised by FIAS (International Sambo Federation):
Sport Sambo is stylistically similar to old time Catch wrestling and Judo, but with some differences in rules, protocol, and uniform. More akin to Catch wrestling, and in contrast with Judo, Sambo allows various types of leg locks, while not allowing chokeholds. It also focuses on throwing, ground work and submissions, with very few restrictions on gripping and holds.
Combat Sambo is used and developed for the military. Combat Sambo resembles modern mixed martial arts, including extensive forms of striking and grappling. It allows punches, kicks, elbows, knees, headbutts and groin strikes. Competitors wear jackets as in sport sambo, but also hand protection and sometimes shin and head protection. The first FIAS World Combat Sambo Championships were held in 2001. The World Combat Sambo Federation, based in Russia, also sanctions international combat sambo events.
Freestyle Sambo – Created and debuted by the American Sambo Association (ASA) in 2004. These rules differ from traditional Sport Sambo in that they allow choke holds and other submissions that are not permitted in Sport Sambo such as certain neck cranks and twisting foot locks. Freestyle Sambo, like all Sambo, focuses on throwing skills and fast ground work. No strikes are permitted in Freestyle Sambo. The ASA created this rule set in order to encourage non-Sambo practitioners from judo and jujutsu to participate in Sambo events.
Meanwhile, Ms Athanase has announced that there is a possibility all three Sambo styles will be on show at the tournament and has urged all members of the public to come and witness this amazing sport that will take place at the Palais de Sports.
S. N.