Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Day 1 of the Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games commenced with a thrilling start at the King Saud University Arena. Athletes from around the world showcased their fierce skills in Boxing, SAMBO + Para SAMBO, and Karate’s Kumite and Kata disciplines, captivating spectators across the globe.
SAMBO
Renowned for its unique combination of wrestling and self-defence techniques, SAMBO began the day’s action-packed events with 79 athletes representing 23 nations, three of which hail from the Games’ host nation of Saudi Arabia.
Winners in the women’s weight classes included under 50kg Independent Neutral Athlete Maria Amyulina Guedez, under 59kg Ibodatkhon Agojonova of Uzbekistan, under 65kg Independent Neutral Athlete Iana Poliakova and under 72kg Independent Neutral Athlete Anzhela Zhylinskaya.
The men’s champions included under 71kg Independent Neutral Athlete Ali Tursunov, under 64kg Independent Neutral Athlete Pavel Panteleev, under 79kg Furkat Ruziev of Uzbekistan, under 88kg Independent Neutral Athlete Aslan Kurbanov, under 98kg Independent Neutral Athlete Raman Damiyeu and over 88kg Temirlan Kolbay of Kazakstan.
Ten blind Paralympians proudly represented SAMBO’s Paralympic division. Luis Elder Moreno Garcia of Venezuela took gold in the under 79kg weight class and Oleg Nemtan of Moldova claimed silver, with bronze medals awarded to Independent Neutral Athlete Viktor Rudenko and Mishiko Shiobrishvili of Georgia.
Karate
Already a prominent fixture of the World Combat Games, Kumite and Kata athletes asserted their prominence today.
In Kata, Chiara Manca of Belgium placed first within the female division, while the men’s Kata final saw Yu Hin Tang of Hong Kong take the gold.
Gold medallists in the female Kumite weight divisions included under 50kg Sofia Balcazar Ardenas of Colombia, and under 55kg Louiza Abouriche of Algeria. The men’s under 60kg saw Jina Abdelali of Morocco place first, while the under 67kg gold medal was secured by Ahmed Lotfy of Egypt.
Boxing
Today’s Boxing matches featured 34 competitors across various weight categories, including women’s 50kg, 54kg, and 60kg, as well as men’s 51kg, 63.5kg, 71kg, 80kg, and over 92kg. Semifinalists and bronze medallists in each category have now been determined. Tomorrow, the semifinalists will vie for gold and silver in their respective weight classes.
Tomorrow’s competition will see the final day of Karate, SAMBO and Boxing. Wushu and Sumo will also start their Riyadh 2023 campaigns on Day 2. Fans who wish to catch the competition online can visit the Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games’ official website, where each event will be live-streamed.
About the Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games:
In total, over 1,500 athletes from 120+ countries are competing in 16 martial arts and combat sports at Riyadh 2023: Aikido, Armwrestling, Boxing, Fencing, Judo, Ju-Jitsu, Karate, Kendo, Kickboxing, Muaythai, SAMBO, Savate, Sumo, Taekwondo, Wrestling, and Wushu.
For the full results and competition schedule of the Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games, click here.
