For the first time in its history, the ancient city of Bukhara is hosting the World Sambo Masters Championship. We spoke with Alisher Alimov, president of the Uzbekistan Sambo Association, about the intricacies of organizing such a major event:
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— This is not the first time Uzbekistan has hosted a major international sambo competition. Tell us, how difficult is it to organize such tournaments?
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— The 2025 World Masters Championship is the first time in my career that we are holding a tournament of this scale not in the capital of Uzbekistan, but in the city of Bukhara. The hall is beautiful, as you can see, and the conditions are excellent. There are very few halls like this in our republic. The venue is convenient in terms of equipment, but I personally faced additional work in terms of logistics, transporting carpets, booking hotels for all members of our team and our guests, and purchasing airline tickets for all our staff, as most of our employees live permanently in Tashkent. Because of this, we couldn’t be at the venue in Bukhara 24 hours a day, and I personally had to come here once a week to check on the preparations, which we started several months ago. But unfortunately, such rare visits mean that you essentially have no control over the processes. Yes, some issues can be resolved online, but in my opinion, it is not as effective as preparing for this kind of tournament while actually being at the venue. In any case, it is a good experience, and it has a positive impact on the development of sambo wrestling in other regions of our republic.
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— Overall, how do you feel about our masters’ performance? How would you rate the sporting aspect?
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— This year, we are already holding our second major event involving veterans. In the spring, at the Asia-Oceania Championships, this event was also held. We have many distinguished athletes here, whose health we are very concerned about, which is why, and this is not sarcasm, we are doubling the number of medical personnel, meaning that not one but two ambulances will be on duty during the competition. You understand, of course, that they are all 18 years old at heart, but their health must be monitored, and we are responsible for their condition and well-being. I watch them with pride, I am amazed by their optimism, their willpower, and their desire to win. They show that they have plenty of energy left. I wish everyone good luck, and I really hope that our Championship will go without any injuries.
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— Next year, you will once again host the World Championship. Can you share anything interesting yet, or is everything still in the waiting mode?
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— First, we have been discussing this for a long time, and opinions are divided within our team. Half of our team wants to hold the competition in Samarkand, believing that it will be interesting for visitors, guests, and participants. The other half believes that Tashkent is better because it is, after all, the most important event of the year in the world of sambo, and I am among this half. I believe that it is better to hold this Championship in the capital because we want to prepare for it wholeheartedly and thoroughly. As I said above, there will be certain difficulties in the regions, and because of this, there is a high probability of losing the quality of preparation for such a start. We have not yet made a final decision; we will wait for the International Sambo Federation Congress in Bishkek this year.