Armenian sambo faces financial difficulties: athletes asked to contribute 600,000 drams ahead of World Championships

The Armenian Sambo Federation has encountered serious financial difficulties ahead of the 2026 Youth World Championships. According to Armenian media reports, members of the national team were asked to raise 600,000 drams each in order to cover the costs of travelling to the tournament in Greece.

Armenian Sambo Federation president Mikael Hayrapetyan confirmed to the newspaper Hraparak that such a request had indeed been discussed. According to him, because of time constraints, the federation needed to purchase tickets and cover other expenses in advance, so the athletes were temporarily asked to help raise the necessary funds. Hayrapetyan also said that the organization expects support both from the state and from private sponsors. (hraparak.am)

The situation attracted considerable attention, after which the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport issued an official clarification.

Federation received 22.5 million drams but faced problems accessing the funds

According to the ministry, claims that the federation has been left entirely without state funding do not reflect the actual situation.

The ministry said that under an agreement with the Armenian Sambo Federation, the organization has already received a state grant of around 22.5 million drams in 2026. The money is intended to finance Armenian sambo athletes' participation in various sporting events. (armenpress.am)

However, tax inspections revealed issues related to the federation's tax liabilities. As a result of the legal proceedings that followed, the organization faced restrictions on access to the allocated funds.

The ministry said the issue had been discussed with the federation's management and that the problems are currently being resolved.

The government is expected to be able to provide funding in the coming days for the Armenian athletes' participation in the Youth World Championships in Greece in accordance with the existing agreement. (armenpress.am)

What role did Gagik Tsarukyan play in financing sambo?

The financial situation has attracted additional attention against the backdrop of criminal proceedings involving businessman and Armenian National Olympic Committee president Gagik Tsarukyan.

Hraparak, citing its own information, reported that a significant share of the Armenian Sambo Federation's expenses in previous years had been covered with Tsarukyan's support. Hayrapetyan himself did not name specific former sponsors in his conversation with the newspaper, saying only that the federation had traditionally attracted private partners. (hraparak.am)

At the same time, Tsarukyan's substantial financial support for sambo is documented in open sources.

In particular, Armenia has hosted major international sambo tournaments for several years under the name of Armenian NOC president Gagik Tsarukyan. In 2024, the prize fund for one such tournament amounted to $189,000, while the 2025 World Cup offered $196,000 in prize money. International Sambo Federation president Vasily Shestakov separately thanked Tsarukyan for providing the prize fund for the competition in Yerevan. (sambo.sport)

At the same time, there is no basis for saying that the NOC president financed only sambo. Publicly available information indicates that he also provided financial support to representatives of other sports. However, sambo in particular has staged tournaments in recent years with major prize funds bearing the name of the NOC president. (tsarukyanfound.am)

Tsarukyan remains in custody

Gagik Tsarukyan has been in custody since July 2026. On September 4, a court extended his detention for another two months.

He has been charged with large-scale fraud and money laundering, while a tax evasion charge was added later. Tsarukyan denies the accusations, and his defense team has said it intends to appeal the detention order. (armenpress.am)

At the same time, prosecutors are seeking the confiscation of a significant amount of property belonging to Tsarukyan and people linked to him. The case concerns real estate, vehicles, stakes in companies and funds worth more than 105 billion drams. Courts have already imposed interim measures on certain assets, including transferring some of them into state management. For that reason, saying that absolutely all of Tsarukyan's assets have been “frozen” would currently be too categorical. (pan.am)

Against this backdrop, the difficulties faced by the Sambo Federation demonstrate how important private financing may have been for certain sports projects.

Armenia is expected to compete at the World Championships in Thessaloniki

It is important, however, to distinguish between two separate international competitions.

The current funding issue concerns the World Championships for cadets, youth and juniors, which will take place in Thessaloniki, Greece, on October 2-4. It is this trip that the ministry says it intends to finance once the existing problems are resolved. (sambo.sport)

Separately, the 2026 senior Sambo World Championships will be held in Tashkent on November 6-8. Medals will be awarded in sport sambo, combat sambo and blind sambo competitions for men and women. (new.sambo.sport)

Therefore, judging by the ministry's statement, the immediate risk of Armenia missing the Youth World Championships should be resolved: the authorities have promised to provide funding for the national team's trip once the necessary procedures are completed.

Nevertheless, the situation has once again raised questions about the financial sustainability of the Armenian Sambo Federation and its dependence on state grants and private sponsors.