MOSCOW, November 30. /TASS/. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued a temporarily recognition for the Sambo wrestling as an Olympic competition, the press service of the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) said in a statement to TASS on Friday.
"The dream of all Sambo wrestlers from around the globe came true today as the sport of Sambo was temporarily recognized by the International Olympic Committee," the statement quoted FIAS President Vasily Shestakov as saying.
Today’s IOC recognition of Sambo as a new sport competition will further provide for a possible inclusion of this wrestling into the Olympic program and to secure a financial assistance on behalf of the global Olympic body.
Sambo wrestling originated in Russia in the 1920s, when soldiers of the then-Soviet Army developed their own hand-to-hand combat technique. The word Sambo is a Russian acronym, which stands for "self-defense without weapons."
According to latest statistics from the All-Russia Sambo Federation, over 500,000 Russians had been practicing Sambo and the figure included about 230,000 children.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in 2016 speaking about Sambo wrestling and its global perspectives, that the Russia-originated wrestling should be included in the Olympic program, but it would require a lengthy and labor-consuming period.
