PHUKET: A martial art known as Sambo, supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin, is to be a sport at the Asian Beach Games on Phuket later this year, according to a media report tonight.
Sambo - which translates as self-defence without weapons - was developed for Russia's military and police force in the 1930s, says the online site insidethegames.biz, which covers Olympic events and politics.
Sambo is set to be added to next year's inaugural European Games in Baku the capital of Azerbaijan, following a personal plea from Russian President Vladimir Putin for it to be included, the site reports.
But first it will make its international debut at this year's Asian Beach Games in Phuket, scheduled to take place between November 14 and 23, says insidethegames.biz.
Some observers have questioned whether the Phuket event will go ahead given that a number of international events scheduled for Thailand have been cancelled because of months of street protests and political unrest.
Among the events cancelled was the women's FIVB international beach volleyball, which usually takes place at Phuket's Karon beach and was this year scheduled for October, the month preceding the Asian Beach Games.
Phuket authorities working with Asian Beach Games officials could not be contacted tonight to confirm that Sambo is among the 147 events in 23 sports scheduled for Phuket in November, or that there are no concerns about security and safety.
It's believed that Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, one of the prime supporters of the Asian Beach Games - Phuket will be the fourth - hopes to expand the idea from Phuket and create a World Beach Games in 2015.
Sheikh Ahmad is President of the Olympic Council of Asia, which has been organising a beach games every two years since 2008.
And now on Phuket in November, Sambo is coming.
The appearance of the sport will mark a significant step in the drive by the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) for recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and one day a place in the Olympics, reports insidethegames.biz.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, a former sambo champion in St Petersburg and a Master of Sports, is honorary president of FIAS and has long campaigned for its inclusion in major events.
Last month FIAS President Vasily Shestakov had told insidethegames.biz that he believed his sport was the ''most technical arsenal of all the martial arts and if you look over the five continents then you will see how popular sambo has become all over the world''.
The number of Russians visiting Phuket has increased dramatically in the past few years so an audience for Sambo events at the Beach Games is virtually assured.
Mr Putin has visited Phuket and speculation is likely that he may visit again to see one of his favorite sports on the holiday island.
Sambo is an acronym for SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya, says Wikipedia. It's also known as Sombo in English-speaking countries, according to the online encyclopedia.
Sambo - which translates as self-defence without weapons - was developed for Russia's military and police force in the 1930s, says the online site insidethegames.biz, which covers Olympic events and politics.
Sambo is set to be added to next year's inaugural European Games in Baku the capital of Azerbaijan, following a personal plea from Russian President Vladimir Putin for it to be included, the site reports.
But first it will make its international debut at this year's Asian Beach Games in Phuket, scheduled to take place between November 14 and 23, says insidethegames.biz.
Some observers have questioned whether the Phuket event will go ahead given that a number of international events scheduled for Thailand have been cancelled because of months of street protests and political unrest.
Among the events cancelled was the women's FIVB international beach volleyball, which usually takes place at Phuket's Karon beach and was this year scheduled for October, the month preceding the Asian Beach Games.
Phuket authorities working with Asian Beach Games officials could not be contacted tonight to confirm that Sambo is among the 147 events in 23 sports scheduled for Phuket in November, or that there are no concerns about security and safety.
It's believed that Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, one of the prime supporters of the Asian Beach Games - Phuket will be the fourth - hopes to expand the idea from Phuket and create a World Beach Games in 2015.
Sheikh Ahmad is President of the Olympic Council of Asia, which has been organising a beach games every two years since 2008.
And now on Phuket in November, Sambo is coming.
The appearance of the sport will mark a significant step in the drive by the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) for recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and one day a place in the Olympics, reports insidethegames.biz.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, a former sambo champion in St Petersburg and a Master of Sports, is honorary president of FIAS and has long campaigned for its inclusion in major events.
Last month FIAS President Vasily Shestakov had told insidethegames.biz that he believed his sport was the ''most technical arsenal of all the martial arts and if you look over the five continents then you will see how popular sambo has become all over the world''.
The number of Russians visiting Phuket has increased dramatically in the past few years so an audience for Sambo events at the Beach Games is virtually assured.
Mr Putin has visited Phuket and speculation is likely that he may visit again to see one of his favorite sports on the holiday island.
Sambo is an acronym for SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya, says Wikipedia. It's also known as Sombo in English-speaking countries, according to the online encyclopedia.
Although Russian tourists in Thailand by far are not so obnoxious as those ones in cheaper destinations like North Africa or Turkey - many of them are "those in the know" what Thailand is, and do not behave as they were at UAI resort in Turkey, still it is always fun to observe Russun tourists in surrounding like Tre restaraunt at BanyanTree DoublePoolVillas, that has rather serene setting by the lake - and who break a serenity by continuous very loud mobile calls back home to relatives, friends , "to make them understand" at what a cutting-edge place he is now (unlike them, and requesting profound appreciation of his status. This all as if nobody understand his speech, at least by intonation and gesticulation.
Posted by Sue on May 29, 2014 21:58