IN GOD WE TRUST
11th Asia-Oceania Sambo C’ship Manila’26… PH BEST BETS ARE READY TO RUMBLE AND GRAPPLE!
IT’S now sambomania in Manila! National sambo head coach Ace Larida is confident of the strong medal chances of the 40-member national team that will swing into action in the 11th Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships presented by the Philippine Sports Commission starting today at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
SPORTS
By Danny Simon
6/24/20262 min read
IT’S now sambomania in Manila! National sambo head coach Ace Larida is confident of the strong medal chances of the 40-member national team that will swing into action in the 11th Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships presented by the Philippine Sports Commission starting today at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
“Lahat sila100 percent physically and mentally prepared. We trained hard for the last six months since we knew that we were going to host the competition,” said Larida on the eve of the championships organized by the Pilipinas Sambo Federation, Inc. (PFSI).
“Philippine sambo will make history starting June 25. Our athletes prepared hard and are ready to do battle,” echoed federation chief Paolo Tancontian, who has been hands-on in the preparations of the meet sanctioned by the International Sambo Federation and the Sambo Union of Asia and Oceania.
Spearheading the hosts in the competition that has drawn a total of 22 countries and close to 500 campaigners from Asia and Oceania are reigning champions Sydney Sy and Aislyn Agnes Yap.
In front of hometown fans, Sy will seek to retain her women’s +80kg sport sambo title and Yap the women’s -80kg combat sambo crown in the tournament held under the auspices of the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee headed by PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio.
Larida added that also looming as medal contenders are Jomary Torres, ranked No. 7 in the world, and will vie in the women’s -50kg combat event and promising youth grappler Sophia Novino in the women’s -47kg youth category of the meet backed by Victory Liner.
Former Southeast Asian Games judo bronze medalist Carl Aneseta was delighted about making his international debut in the meet, vowing to give his utmost best in the men’s +98kg sports event of the four-day sambo showcase.
“I am glad Sir Paolo invited me to join this event. Sambo is similar to judo and we did some adjustments. I aim not to let him down,” said Aneseta, an Airman 2nd Class, of his fellow Davao City native.
“We salute the sambo federation led by its dynamic president Paolo Tancontian on a well-organized 11th Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships. We expect this to be another historic international sports event locally,” stressed Gregorio after making an ocular inspection of the venue together with the sambo chief and SUAO secretary general Suresh Gopi early this week.
“Five star,” disclosed Tancontian, beaming, on how Gopi, who is also the tournament director, rated the host’s preparations for the tournament.
“With close to 500 athletes from 22 coming from as remote Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, the competition underscores the immense popularity of our country as a tourist destination,” the PSC chief, a prime advocate on sports tourism, said.
Tickets priced at P100 each for the tournament are available at the ticket booths of the Ninoy Aquino Stadium while unable to watch the live action can still go to the sambo.live website and Facebook Live on the official PSC and Pilipinas Sambo Federation, Inc. pages.
PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio (third from left), SAUO secretary general Suresh Gophi (second from left) and sambo federation chief Paolo Tancontian give the thumbs-up sign after inspecting the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, which will be the venue of the 11th Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships starting today. Joining them is national standout is Sydney Sy.
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