“This gold medal win…uh, made me realise that Sambo is really a sport that opens up new horizons. Sambo gives you the opportunity to feel alive: A normal life, like that of ordinary people. And this is the most important element of Sambo for me.”
Venezuelan Para-athlete Elder Luis Moreno Garcia won a historical first gold in one of the novel World Combat Games Riyadh 2023 para-sports, after beating Oleg Nemtan of Moldova 0-7 in an electric final among Men’s Paralympic Sambo -79kg category SVI-1 (totally blind athletes), slicing 4 hold-down points and 3 technical points.
In the Riyadh 2023 edition, the World Combat Games introduced six new Paralympic sports including Aikido, Muaythai, Armwrestling, Ju-Jitsu, Sambo and Savate. Ilkhom Juraev, an Individual Neutral Athlete from Russia and Mishiko Shiobrishvili of Georgia shared the bronze medal.
In an interview with AIPS, the Venezuelan para athlete spoke about the necessary experience of performing at Sambo tournaments, the possibilities in this sport, as well as its most important components:
PREPERATIONS
Moreno started preparing for his fight after the selection for the Games took place, during the Open Asian and Oceania Sambo Championship for the blind and visually impaired category, held in June in Kazakhstan.
In an interview with the AIPS, the Venezuelan athlete spoke about the necessary experience of performing at sambo tournaments, the prospects of this sport, as well as its most important component.
L-R: Silver medalist Oleg Nemtan (Moldova), gold medalist Elder Moreno Garcia (Venezuela), bronze medalists Ilkhom Juraev (Individual Neutral Athlete) and Mishiko Shiobrishvili of Georgia at the podium of Men’s Paralympic Sambo -79kg category SVI-1 (WCG Riyadh 2023)
SAMBO FOR THE BLIND
“I am happy I got the opportunity to be here, Sambo opened up new opportunities for me.”
Moreno explained that Sambo pays significant attention to athletes with visual impairments, allowing them not only to play sports to maintain their health, but also to participate in major international competitions in different countries around the world and feel proud of representing their nation.
HISTORY OF SAMBO
Sambo, pronounced as (samba), is a martial art with Soviet origins, an internationally practised combat sport that has developed significantly in recent years. It is a recognized style of UWW amateur wrestling, included in the World Wrestling Championships alongside Greco-Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling.
In the early 1920s, the Soviet army developed Sambo to improve the hand-to-hand combat capabilities of their servicemen. It was intended to merge the most effective techniques of other martial arts.
How long have you been practising martial arts? Why did you choose Sambo?
“I have been involved in various martial arts for a long time, but only recently a coach convinced me to do Sambo. This is a completely new sport for me, but I will devote significantly more time to it than everything else. It is Sambo that gave me the opportunity to achieve the goals that I have set for myself today. The immediate goal to win a medal gives great feeling of satisfaction, I aim to move forward to more competitions.”
Which opponent turned out to be the most difficult in WCG Riyadh 2023?
“The final bout on the tatami with Oleg Nemtan was the most difficult. Firstly, my opponent turned out to be very tall, and secondly, he has a unique technique. For me, this fight turned out to be quite tough, I made a couple of mistakes, but after round two I was able to focus on winning by floor submission.”
PARALYMPICS & SAMBO
Moreno cleared, that Sambo for the blind and visually impaired could possibly be included in the Paralympic Games Programmes, creating a very serious incentive for him to get more serious into international competitions. Therefore, he admitted that he has a great motive now to pay significant attention to Sambo training.
A fifth place at the Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships guaranteed your entry into this World Combat Games. Were you satisfied with your performance?
“To be honest, it was a painful result for me, because It was like I gave the bronze medal to my opponent. I lacked experience and some knowledge of the rules of Sambo – due to several mistakes, I was not able to win this tournament. I committed prohibited actions that prevented me from winning the bronze medal for penalties.”
Have you ever used martial arts techniques on the street for self-defence?
“Basically, this was one of the main reasons why I started doing martial arts. Unfortunately, we have to deal with crime on the streets, including robberies and assaults. Now I have another additional self-defence weapon that I carry with me – Sambo.”
The World Combat Games Riyadh 2023 Sambo for the blind and visually impaired became the first international tournament of this level in this discipline. How do you assess level of the tournament?
“Everything was just wonderful, this is the highest level this discipline has reached after the regional Asia-Oceania World Championship. I want to congratulate all the people who took part in organizing these competitions. I would really like to see as many international Sambo tournaments for the blind and visually impaired as possible. The main thing we lack is experience, including experience of participating in international tournaments.”
Curious to see a Sambo competition for the blind and visually impaired? watch below:
