Camille Naredo

The Philippine sambo team. Handout/Pilipinas Sambo Federation Inc.

Article (news)

sambo

Paige Javier

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1782286730321WhatsApp Image 2026-06-24 at 3.26.19 PM.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="The Philippine sambo team. Handout/Pilipinas Sambo Federation Inc."/>The Philippine sambo team. Handout/Pilipinas Sambo Federation Inc.</div>MANILA –  As the country hosts the 2026 Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships for the first time, Pilipinas Sambo Federation Inc. President Paolo Tancontian is hopeful the country can surpass its performance from last year&#x27;s edition. Over 400 athletes from 22 countries and territories are expected to see action in the three-day tournament in Manila.  <div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/5/29/over-400-athletes-expected-for-asia-oceania-sambo-tilt-1357">READ: Over 400 athletes expected for Asia-Oceania Sambo tilt</a></div>&quot;Yun sana pinagdadasal namin. Sana malagpasan namin yung ating fourth place overall last year. So yun sana, sana hopefully, if God permits. Sana mas maraming gintong medalya ang mabigay natin sa bansa,&quot; Tancontian told ABS-CBN News in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.  &quot;Imagine bago palang tayo dito sa larangan ng sambo, yung ating mga competitors ay like 80 years, 60 years, 50 years. Tayo ay sampung taon palang pero nakakapagsabay tayo,&quot; he added. ABS-CBN News got a look inside the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, the venue of the competition, a day before action kicks off on Thursday.  &quot;We are almost ready. Finishing touches na lang. Bukas mag-uumpisa na po ang ating competition,&quot; Tancontian said. &quot;Yes napakaganda. I was surprised ngayong araw noong nakita ko ito may mga LED [screens] and world class. Sobrang ganda ng [venue]. Ito ay makakatulong sa ating athletes at lalo silang ganahan mag-compete sa harap ng kanilang kababayan,&quot; he added. Tancontian said some of the delegations from participating countries and territories started arriving on Tuesday, but the bulk of athletes and coaches are expected on Wednesday.  World No. 1, five-time World Sambo bronze medalist and three-time Asian champion Sydney Sy leads the Philippine delegation. Sy is the defending champion of the +80kg division in sports sambo, after striking gold during the 2025 edition in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. &quot;Sabi ko nga kay Sydney, pahinga ka. Kailangan magpa-condition para makuha niya, ma-defend niya yung kanyang champion [gold] sa Asia and Oceania,&quot; Tancontian said of his daughter. Tancontian visited the Philippine delegation recently to uplift their spirits ahead of the tournament. &quot;Actually two days ago, nag-distribute ako ng mga uniform nila. They&#x27;re very excited. Na-feel ko talaga yung kanilang energy. And yun, ganado sila na makipag-compete ngayon sa Asia-Oceania,&quot; Tancontian shared.  &quot;We have 21 [members of the] national team. And mayroon tayo mga hindi national team but they are also champions sa nationals. So itong mga athlete na ito, co-compete sa youth and juniors. And malaki din ang kanilang pag-asa na makauwi din na medal,&quot; he said. The local federation said they made sure they give opportunities and exposure to more athletes, with some coming from Davao City and other parts of Mindanao. &quot;Lahat ng champion talagang in-entry namin to experience yung gano&#x27;ng lakas itong tournament na ito. Lahat sila tinutukan namin para makapag-represent at mabigyan ng opportunity,&quot; Tancontian said. &quot;Actually, this is a rank tournament. This is a class A tournament. So mostly ang mag-compete dito yung mga world champion din... So, gusto ko ma-experience nila, makita nila ng ating mga kababayan kung gaanong kalakas, gaanong ka-intense itong sambo,&quot; he added. Philippine National Sambo Team head coach Ace Larida is confident of the country&#x27;s athletes chances at bagging medals. &quot;Lahat sila, 100 percent physically and mentally prepared. We trained hard for the last six months since we knew that we were going to host the competition,” Larida said in a press release on Wednesday. The three-day competition will have medals contested in three categories: youth (16 to 18 years old), junior (between 18 to 20 years old) and senior (18 years old and above) for both men and women. The youth category will only feature sports sambo, while the junior and senior categories will have both sports sambo and combat sambo. The sports sambo competition will use a repechage system, where athletes who lose to finalists are eligible to vie for bronze medals. Meanwhile, combat sambo events will follow a direct elimination format.  Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick Gregorio praised the PSFI for its effort, following an ocular inspection of the venue with Sambo Union of Asia and Oceania Secretary General Suresh Gopi earlier this week. &quot;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,&quot; he said. &quot;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,&quot; the PSC chief added. Tancontian hopes the country&#x27;s first hosting of the high-level sambo competition will raise more awareness and interest in the sport. &quot;Isa sa mga reason bakit tayo nag-host para mapakita natin sa ating mga kababayan kung gaano kalakas ang ating mga atleta sa sambo,&quot; he said.The 11th Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships will run from June 25 to 28 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Tickets are priced at P100 each for the tournament, which can be purchased at the ticket booths of the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Livestream is likewise available on the sambo.live website and the official PSC and Pilipinas Sambo Federation, Inc. Facebook pages.

As the country hosts the 2026 Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships for the first time, Pilipinas Sambo Federation Inc. President Paolo Tancontian is hopeful the country can surpass its performance from last year's edition.

As the country hosts the 2026 Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships for the first time, Pilipinas Sambo Federation Inc. President Paolo Tancontian is hopeful the country can surpass its performance from last year's edition.

Sambo chief optimistic of PH's medal chances in Asia-Oceania tourney

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Sambo chief optimistic of PH's medal chances in Asia-Oceania tourney

Paige Javier,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 24, 2026 03:39 PM PHT

|

Updated June 24, 2026 04:59 PM PHT

Read More:

Sambo

2026 Asia and Oceania Sambo Championships

Pilipinas Sambo Federation

Philippine Olympic Committee

Philippine Sports Commission

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