African Sambo Championship - Seychelles welcomes Sambo to its shores |09 May 2017

Seychelles will play host to the African Sambo family as from this Friday when the African Sambo Championship begins at the Palais des Sports.

From May 12-14, locals will have the chance to witness one of the most exciting emerging combat sports ‒ sambo ‒ which will see over 80 athletes from 12 countries compete in both sport and combat Sambo.

In a press conference held at the Savoy Resort & Spa yesterday, the chairperson of the Seychelles Sambo Federation Monique Athanase revealed that all is ready for the start of the tournament on Friday.

“We have managed to achieve about 80% of what we had expected for the tournament and we are ready to host this tournament now,” she said.

The tournament itself will begin on Friday morning starting at 10am and there will be free entrance for all those interested in seeing this event.

“Things will officially begin on Thursday with the congress for African sambo at the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay hotel and the tournament will begin on Friday morning up to 2pm. Action will resume at 6pm with the opening ceremony, followed by the finals of that day’s categories,” added Ms Athanase.

On Saturday, the competition will start at 10am.

In all, 12 countries will be represented at the tournament, which aside from Seychelles include Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, DR Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Cameroon, Benin, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Egypt and Niger.

In all there will be six categories for men and three for women in sport sambo, which is quite similar to judo, but with some differences in rules, protocol, and uniform. 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 gives combatants more freedom and will have six categories for men and again three for women. Utilised and developed for the military, combat sambo resembles modern mixed martial arts, including extensive forms of striking and grappling. Combat sambo allows punches, kicks, elbows, knees, head butts and groin strikes. Competitors wear jackets as in sport sambo, but also hand protection and sometimes shin and head protection.

The championship is being fully funded by the international federation according to Ms Athanase and the president of African Sambo Confederation, Dalil Skalli, said he feels Seychelles and the local federation has done a great job in organising this event.

“I am very happy with what I have seen so far and I believe we could start tomorrow (today) if we wanted as everything is prepared and ready,” said Mr Skalli.

Ms Athanase also revealed that two Seychellois officials are expected to be at the tournament, after which they will benefit from further overseas training to further improve their level.

While the main competition will be held at the Palais des Sports, Ms Athanase also revealed that there will be a beach sambo demonstration on Sunday, next to the Boat House restaurant at Beau Vallon for those looking to enjoy the sport in a different setting and atmosphere as from 10am.

S. N.