02/06/2026
600 athletes expected in 11th Asia-Oceania Sambo tourney
By Lito delos Reyes
SIX HUNDRED players from 31 countries are expected to see action in the 11th Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships set on June 23-28 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
“Cambodia will send a 42-member squad,” said Pilipinas Sambo Federation Inc. president Paolo Tancontian
Other countries are Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Syria, Australia, and New Zealand.
The PH national team will be spearheaded by former world no. 1 Sydney Sy Tancontian, a 10th Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships gold medalist.
The 26-year-old Tancontian goes all out for her fourth overall gold medal when she defends her women’s +80kg crown in the regional showpiece.
Tancontian reigned in the 2019 (India), ‘21 (Lebanon), and ‘25 (Uzbekistan) editions of Asia and Oceania Championships.
It is crucial for Tancontian as she is currently at No. 5 and she must stick within the top two to qualify for the worlds where she aims to become the first-ever Filipina world champion.
The PH Nationals finished sixth overall with two golds – one apiece from Sydney and Yap – and one silver in Tashkent, Uzbekistan last year.
Sydney’s younger brother Chino [-98kg division] pocketed the gold medal in the Kuala Lumpur 2023 Southeast Asian Sambo Championships.
Chino also won the gold medal match of the 82 kg division final at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines.
Sambo Union of Asia and Oceania Secretary General and Technical Delegate Suresh Gopi recently paid a courtesy visit at the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
The weeklong tournament is sanctioned by the International Sambo Federation.
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