FILA announces World Beach Wrestling and Sambo Championships in Antalya, Turkey, October 13-15, 2006
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
FILA, the international wrestling federation, has announced two new World Championships during the 2006 calendar year, the World Beach Wrestling Championships and the World Sambo Championships, which will be held in Antalya, Turkey, October 13-15.
FILA made this announcement in a letter from President Raphael Martinetti sent to all national wrestling federations, FILA Bureau members and continental committees dated October 4.
In 2004, FILA, the international wrestling federation, announced that Beach Wrestling would be added as a new international wrestling style.
“The FILA Bureau has decided to make a huge effort in 2006 for the promotion of this style,” wrote Martinetti in his letter.
Sambo, which is a combat sport which includes action similar to wrestling and judo, was a sport which was managed by FILA in the past, and which had previous World Championships hosted by FILA. In the mid-1980’s, FILA announced that it was no longer considered sambo as a form of wrestling, and ceased hosting sambo competitions.
In his letter, Martinetti explains why FILA will be hosting a Sambo World Championships in 2006.
“Several international federations affiliated with FILA and which also manage Sambo asked FILA to resume control of this style, because at present, three international federations quarrel about this role. FILA thus concluded an agreement with one of these federations and is going to organize also to Antalya with Beach Wrestling a World championship of Sambo,” wrote Martinetti.
Martinetti also indicated that at the event in Antayla that a World Festival of Traditional Wrestling would also be hosted.
FILA indicated that additional information on the World Beach Wrestling Championships, the World Sambo Championships and the World Festival of Traditional Wrestling would be forwarded to the federations at a later date
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