Representatives from Turkmenistan won two silver medals on the first day of the World Youth Sambo Championships, which started in Indonesia.
The tournament is taking place in the picturesque West Java region of Bogor, at the JSI Resort Megamendung arena, bringing together the world's strongest young sambo athletes. Over three days, they will compete for 37 medal events in sport and combat sambo among boys and girls (16-18 years old) and juniors (18-20 years old).
According to the tournament regulations, each athlete can compete in only one discipline, one age group, and one weight category.
Turkmen athletes won both silver medals in the junior combat sambo division. In the 64 kg weight class, where eight athletes competed for the title of strongest, 18-year-old Rasul Jabrailov of the National Martial Arts Federation of Turkmenistan achieved this feat. In the quarterfinals, he defeated Nurasyl Klyshbayev (Kazakhstan) 3-0, defeated Handezka Victorias (Indonesia) in the semifinals, and lost to Russian Daniil Kudyakov, representing the International Sambo Federation (FIAS), in the final, finishing second. Bronze medals in this category went to Indonesian Handezka Victorias and Kyrgyzstan's Aybaz Orozbekov.
Another silver medal for our team was won by 19-year-old 2nd-year student of the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Education and Sports, Malikberdi Begiyev. He achieved this feat in the 88 kg weight class, which featured eight athletes. In the quarterfinals, Begiyev confidently defeated Zemzi Delnaida (Indonesia) 8-0. In the semifinals, he defeated Leko Terpstra (Netherlands), but lost 0-4 to Russia's Demid Volkov, competing under the FIAS flag, in the final. Bronze medals were awarded to Leko Terpstra of the Netherlands and Sanat Jamankul of Kazakhstan.
According to FIAS President Vasiliy Shestakov, holding the World Youth Championships in Indonesia is a strategically important step in strengthening Sambo's position in Southeast Asia. A tournament of such a high level opens a new, vibrant chapter in the history of Sambo in the Asian region and highlights its growing global popularity.
The competition continues.
