The Russian grappling sport of Sombo (or Sambo) wrestling has been making great advances in the UK in the last couple of years. The British Sombo Federation, the UK Sport and International Amateur Sambo Federation (FIAS) recognised governing body for Sombo in the UK have enjoyed a steady increase in the number of clubs and wrestlers taking part in their activities during this time. Competitions, seminars and squad training sessions have been held at various venues across the country and during 2001 the BSF have sent competitors to international events in Russia, USA and France with considerable success. As a result, the trial events for selection for this year’s World Championships in Siberia, the British Championships at Folkestone and the Scottish Open at Dumfries attracted all the serious contenders places. The BSF selection committee headed by National Coach Tim Thomas decided on the following team.
Under 57 kilos Chris Bates (Christchurch)
Under 62 kilos Rob Atkinson (Luton)
Under 68 kilos Paul Sawyer (Bournemouth – captain)
Under 74 kilos Johannes Alder (Paisley)
Under 82 kilos John Nichols (Bedford)
Under 90 kilos Joe Holness (Folkestone)
Under 100 kilos Jack Tinning (Ruthwell)
Over 100 kilos Luke Struthers (Dumfries)
Under 60 kilos Joyce Malley (Birmingham)
Under 64 kilos Marian Wood (Bournemouth)
Under 68 kilos Cherie Carolan (Folkestone)
Under 72 kilos Emily Gittins (Harlington)
The team was assisted by National Coach Tim Thomas and the BSF President, Robin Hyslop, who represented the BSF at the FIAS Congress which was taking place in conjunction with the World Championships.
The team arrived at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport to be met by representatives of the Russian Sambo Federation. They were transported to Domodovo Airport, about one and a half hours drive away, to pick up the special flight arranged to transfer the international delegations to Krasnoyarsk in south west Siberia – a further four and a half hours by air.
The plane arrived in Krasnoyarsk at about 8am the next morning to be met by a reception committee, band and dancers welcoming the participants to their city. A further one hour drive into the heart of Krasnoyarsk for registration followed before the teams could finally settle into their hotel.
Some light training later in the afternoon was followed by a reception for the team by the KRAMZ health club who sponsored the British team during their stay in Krasnoyarsk. An excellent buffet plus full use of the KRAMZ amenities including sauna and swimming pool as well as gifts of books and vodka ensured that the British team were suitably relaxed and rejuvenated for the tournament which started the following day.
The event was held at the Ivan Yarygin Stadium, named in honour of the former double Olympic freestyle wrestling champion who is a native of Krasnoyarsk. The presentation was first class and every effort was made to ensure that competitors had adequate warming up facilities which also included television screens covering each mat. This ensured that they could keep track of the action while warming up and thus time the warm up to meet their anticipated contest start. There were even free water dispensers available too.
The main hall of the stadium was packed to capacity each day with an estimated 5000 plus enthusiastic spectators and there was full TV coverage of the bouts. Everything from the opening ceremony featuring several of Russia’s leading government officials including regional governor Alexander Lebed through to the live orchestra who played intermittently throughout the competition and the daily four page bulletins describing the events and related stories was carried out in a thoroughly professional manner.
Since the break up of the Soviet Union, medals at the World and European Championships have been increasingly hard to come by for the non Eastern bloc countries who now face a potential 15 competitors from the former Soviet Union rather than just the one pre 1992. This year was no exception as these countries were represented in great depth. FIAS, recognising the imbalance in strength between the competing countries, this year decided to experiment with a new format of elimination designed to assist the weaker nations and in turn provide a boost to the development of Sombo in those countries. The competitors in each weight class were ranked according to their country’s finishing position at that weight in last year’s World Championships. The top ranked half went into the Group A knockout and the bottom half into the Group B knockout with the respective finalists of each group crossing over to meet their counterpart from the other group for a place in the final. The finalists would then contest the world title and the losing semi finalists would contest the “small medal” consolation final and be awarded third place overall.
This system would in general prove to be advantageous to Great Britain as in most cases their competitors would be unranked and so avoid the big guns of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia etc until the later stages. Nevertheless, Great Britain still managed to meet former Soviet countries in their first bouts in all but one case. 20 year old heavyweight Luke Struthers managed to draw the Israeli representative Andrian Kordon in his first bout although Kordon himself proved to be a Russian immigrant! Luke, very mobile for his almost 150 kilos body weight, gave a good account of himself but found the more mature strength of his opponent a little too much this time. Kordon progressed to winning the small gold medal consolation and overall third place. However, 20 is no age for a heavyweight and Glasgow University student Luke showed tremendous potential for the future.
Britain’s main hopes were pinned on the two of the oldest team members, 39 year olds Paul Sawyer and Joyce Malley. Paul is a veteran of many international Sombo events going back to 1992 having been World Small Nations champion in 1998, a World Masters medallist, World (USA) Open medallist and achieving high placings at the European Championships and World Cup. On top of this he has also arranged and financed his own training in Russia on a number of occasions. Joyce, although relatively new to Sombo, is a very experienced competitor in Judo having been a former British champion, World Student and Commonwealth Games medallist and this year took bronze at the World Kurash Championships and a gold in her international Sombo debut at the World Open in the USA.
However, the draw was not kind and both faced tough opposition. Paul, at Under 68 kilos, got off to an early 1 point lead in the second round against Turkmenistan’s Yamar Khodjamukhamedov in a bout which had all the makings of a gruelling distance bout as each blocked out the other’s attacks. However, the Turkmen cleverly turned a failed shoulder throw attack to his advantage as he followed up with a leg entwined knee separation which Paul at first successfully blocked only to get caught with the follow up knee lock which forced his submission.
Joyce also advanced to the second round of the Under 60 kilos category where she met the dangerous Moldovan Lyudmila Kristya. Kristya’s greater Sombo experience told here, where, despite Joyce’s gallant attacks, she was able to contain her and then produce a brilliant leg entwined inner thigh throw so typical of the Eastern bloc wrestlers to throw Joyce for 4 points. Joyce held on heroically in the ensuing groundwork but the Moldovan stayed composed and skilfully extricated Joyce’s arm to take the submission. Kristya went on to make the final where she narrowly lost 2 – 0 to Papushina of Russia.
Johannes Alder fought superbly well in the always tough under 74 kilos category posing lots of problems for Armenia’s Armen Shivinyan before going down narrowly on points.
The rest of the team, in particular, John Nichols and Jack Tinning, gave 100% against their opponents before eventually succumbing to more experienced wrestlers. However, all was not lost for Great Britain, as two of the least experienced of the team achieved places on the winners podium. At 40 years of age and a full time working single parent, Bournemouth schoolteacher Marian Wood was really up against it from the start. With just 4 years Judo experience and even less Sombo experience, Marian had taken gold at Under 60 kilos in the Scottish Open and Home Counties Open this year and achieved a runner up place at the British Championships. With Joyce Malley at Under 60 kilos however, Marian was offered the berth at Under 64 kilos instead. Not expecting to win but prepared to give it a shot in order to gain experience Marian accepted the place at the higher weight. For once the draw proved favourable to Great Britain as Marian progressed through the weaker Group B draw to make the semi finals to meet the Ukrainian Group A qualifier Nadezhda Pokora who had earlier defeated the Russian favourite Elena Novgorodtseva. Pokora, as expected proved a class above her British opponent who put in some good attacks and a successful leg lock defence before being armlocked. However, with no repechage this year, Marian returned to contest the small medal final against Nadezhda Djeltakova, former world champion from Turkmenistan and 9th placed in the recent World Judo Championships in Munich. Again Djeltakova’s skill and experience proved too much for Marian who bravely attacked but was picked off by the well timed drop shoulder throws of her opponent who eventually scored the remaining points with a pin. Marian’s unexpected small silver and overall 3rd placing entitled her to her place on the rostrum alongside her more illustrious opponents.
Emily Gittens, Under 72 kilos, at just 18 years of age is a very bright prospect and has a strong pedigree in Judo at junior level. She has begun to make her mark at senior level in Sombo, Judo and Kurash in the last 18 months and she too used the weaker Group B draw to her advantage qualifying for a semi final place against the Russian world champion and Group A qualifier Yulia Kuzina. Emily took the fight to her vastly experienced opponent but was eventually manouvred into an armlock. Emily, who is extremely flexible, hung on as Kuzina fully extended her arm. The audience gasped and the referee, much to Emily’s disappointment as she felt she could have held out, gave the win to her opponent on the grounds of safety. Still, the consolation of the small medal final awaited against Nasiba Salaeva of Turkmenistan. Determined to make up for her earlier defeat, Emily again took the fight to her opponent who weathered the storm and Emily again found herself being armlocked but used her exceptional flexibility to escape. Salaeva eventually got the required points to achieve victory to leave Emily with a small silver and overall 3rd place.
Thus capped an interesting World Championship for British Sombo, 2 medallists and some encouraging performances from some of the team members which augur well for the future.
The British Sombo Federation wish to take this opportunity to thank the Krasnoyarsk organising committee, the Russian Sambo Federation and sponsors KRAMZ who had all worked so hard to ensure the event was a huge success.