MANILA – The Philippines will host the Asia and Oceania Sambo Championships on June 23-28, 2026, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium here.
The event will be staged under the auspices of the National Sports Tourism–Inter Agency Committee (NST‑IAC) headed by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairperson John Patrick Gregorio, whose leadership reinforces the event’s stature in the country’s international sports calendar.
“Sambo is a sport that needs exposure in the Philippines. Although it’s not an Olympic sport, it is included in the World Games and Asian Games, and we hope grassroots development will allow it to flourish,” Gregorio said in a news release Friday, April 17.
Elite athletes from 29 countries, including Australia and New Zealand, will battle for 72 gold medals across youth, junior, and adult divisions in the tournament sanctioned by the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) and the Sambo Union of Asia and Oceania (SUAO).
“In our 10 years as an association, we have produced a world No. 1 and Asian champion in Sydney Tancontian, and we hope she inspires young athletes as we host this championship,” Pilipinas Sambo Federation Inc. (PSFI) President Paolo Tancontian said.
The tournament features sport sambo, which emphasizes throws, submissions, and ground control, as well as combat sambo, a high‑intensity hybrid that integrates strikes, kicks, and grappling techniques.
Athletes from powerhouse nations such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, and South Korea, along with Oceania’s finest competitors, will vie for supremacy in the competition expected to draw over 500 delegates. The event is also expected to boost Manila’s profile as a sports tourism hub while showcasing the city’s historic landmarks and vibrant culture.
“We are proud to host this tournament. If not for Pilipinas Sambo and the PSC, sambo will not have this big event, so we thank them for being aggressive in organizing and hosting international events like this one,” Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said.
Also present during the launch at the Century Park Hotel in Manila were POC secretary general lawyer Wharton Chan and PSC Commissioner Matthew “Fritz” Gaston. / PNA
