The Congress of the European Sambo Federation (ESF) was held on May 15, on the eve of the European Sambo championship in Bucharest (Romania), attended by members of the ESF Executive Committee and representatives of national sambo federations.
On the Congress agenda were discussed the following items: admission of a new country into the ESF, change in the composition of the ESF Executive Committee, report of the ESF EC activity for the period of 2013, approval of the ESF sport competition calendar for the period of 2014-2017 years.
Important news was the change in the management of the ESF. The post of Secretary General of the continental Federation was taken by Rumen Stoilov, the President of Sambo Federation Bulgaria, who replaced the representative of Italy Roberto Ferraris. Preliminary termination of power happened due to the election of Roberto Ferraris as the Secretary General of the International Sambo Federation (FIAS).
The Congress excluded from the Executive Committee of the European Sambo Federation Dmitry Stoyanov (Sambo Federation of Slovenia), Dmitry Samashuk (Sambo Federation of Estonia) and Eduardas Rudas (Sambo Federation of Lithuania) for committing actions discrediting the activities of the International and European Sambo federations, and damaging the image of Sambo in the world. On the same day were elected the new Executive Committee members the continental Federation. The composition of the Executive Committee includes two new members Vsevolods Zelionijs, President of Latvian sambo club association, and Angel Gimenez, sambo representative of the Spanish Wrestling Federation and associated disciplines.
The Executive Committee has started its activity. Sergey Eliseev, President of the European Sambo Federation, took a floor. He informed that the plan of sports events in 2013 was successfully implemented. The European Sambo Championship among Youth and Juniors in Cyprus, the European Sambo Championship in Italy were held at a high organizational level. Along with official competitions were held large and important events such as: the Cup of Saxony in Germany, the Grand Prix de Paris in France, the Memorial S. Mikhailovich in Serbia, the Memorial A. Dogi in Moldova, the Baltic States Cup in combat sambo in Serbia and etc.
The head of the ESF highlighted that sportsmen from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Moldova, traditionally participate at all the tournaments in all weight categories and retain the leadership in the team scoring. Participation and sports achievement of competitors from France, Serbia, Germany, and Spain have substantially increased. Unfortunately, a few countries like Poland, Austria, Montenegro, Croatia and the United Kingdom are faintly represented in Sambo international tournaments until now.
One of the key points of the ESF President’s report was an item about inclusion of Sambo into the European Olympic Games. ESF and FIAS apply all their efforts to hit this target. However, in order to reach this goal it is necessary that all the national sambo federations take measures to get the recognition from their National Olympic Committees.
Congress delegates also discussed the European competitions calendar for the period of 2015-2017 years. Next year Austria will host the European Sambo Champion among Cadets and Serbia will organise the European Sambo Championship among Youth and Juniors. Croatia will host the European Championship among men, women in sports sambo and among men in combat sambo, that championship will be traditionally held in the middle of May. In 2016 European Sambo Championship will be held in Kazan (Russia), and the European Sambo Championship among Youth and Juniors will be held in France. In 2017 competitions are planned to be held in the Czech Republic and Turkey.
For the first time the Congress was attended by representatives of Macedonia. This country’s Federation have applied for the inclusion in the European Sambo Federation, and members of the Executive Committee by a vote approved this initiative.
At the end of the ESF Congress the certificates of appreciation were given to the presidents of the national sambo federation for their contribution to sambo development in Europe: Jean-Claude Cerutti (France), Vsevolods Zelionijs (Latvia), Vladimir Yaprintsev (Belarus), Marios Andreou (Cyprus) Merabi Iliadis (Greece), Roberto Ferraris (Italy).