Tajikistan will once again be at the center of world sambo: in 2026, Dushanbe will host the World Cup. The decision of the Executive Committee of the International Sambo Federation turns the capital of the country into one of the key venues on the world calendar.
At the meeting of the Executive Committee of FIAS, the updated calendar of major tournaments for 2026 was approved.
The key news is that the World Sambo Cup will take place in August in Dushanbe. The tournament will include competitions in sports and combat sambo for men and women, which means that the strongest sambists from around the globe will come to the capital of Tajikistan.
This decision is not a coincidence but a continuation of the course to develop sambo in the country. In recent years, Dushanbe has already hosted a stage of the World Cup and major international events, including the World Championship for veterans.
Holding the World Cup is not just another tournament, but a sign of trust from the international federation. It is expected that the tournament will gather dozens of countries and hundreds of participants, and the competitions themselves will be held at a level corresponding to the status of one of the main events of the season.
In addition to calendar decisions, FIAS approved significant changes to the rules of sambo. These changes affected several areas – from sports and combat sambo to competitions for athletes with visual and hearing impairments. Requirements for equipment were updated, including safety standards, and classification and judging regulations were revised.
Particular attention was paid to the development of para-sambo – new norms for blind and visually impaired athletes were approved, making this sport even more accessible and modern.
Changes also affected other tournaments. The World Sambo Championship, which was previously planned to be held in Samarkand, has been moved to Tashkent. Thus, Central Asia will become a real center of world sambo in 2026: in summer – the World Cup in Dushanbe, in autumn – the World Championship in Tashkent.
The FIAS calendar for 2026 looks busy and geographically diverse. The Asian and Oceanian Championship will take place in Manila, the world tournament in beach sambo – in Brazil, the youth world championship – in Greece, and the masters’ world championship – in Cyprus.
