Samarkand to Host 2026 World Sambo Championship: International Calendar Approved

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The historic Uzbek city of Samarkand will host the 2026 World Sambo Championship. The tournament for the strongest sambo athletes in the world is scheduled for 6–8 November, according to the decision of the Executive Committee of the International Sambo Federation (FIAS).

In addition to the main event of the year, an extended international competition calendar has been approved. The World Beach Sambo Championship will take place on 12–13 September in Caraguatatuba, Brazil.

The World Junior Championship will be held in Thessaloniki, Greece, in October, and the first of two planned World Cups is scheduled for 11–12 April in Yerevan. In November, Cyprus will host the World Veterans Championship, where top masters will compete.

The European season will open with the juniors: in April, medals at the continental championship will be contested in Novi Sad, Serbia. In May, Tbilisi will host the European Championship for senior athletes.

In June, Manila will host the combined Asian and Oceania Championship for all age categories. In July, Pan America will crown its champions in sport, combat, and beach sambo. The African Championship is planned in a similar format, with the host country to be announced later.

A separate highlight of the calendar will be the first CISM Sambo Championship for military personnel, scheduled for mid-August at the International Sambo Center in Luzhniki.

Throughout 2026, a number of other major international tournaments are also planned, many of which have already become traditional events.