The 2025 European Sambo Championships have kicked off in Limassol. On the first day of competition, Armenian athletes won three bronze medals in combat sambo.
All three medals came in the men's division:
Hamlet Sukiasyan (weight class up to 58 kg) began with a victory over a Ukrainian opponent, but lost in the semifinals to a Russian and claimed a bronze medal.
Mher Merjanyan (up to 71 kg) defeated a Spaniard in his opening bout, but then lost to a Georgian athlete and also took bronze.
Avetik Poghosyan (up to 88 kg) first defeated a competitor from the Netherlands, but was beaten by a Georgian in the semifinals and finished in third place.
In the heavyweight division (+98 kg), Norik Khurshudyan lost to a Ukrainian in the first round and did not earn a medal.
In sport sambo, Armenian athletes were left without medals:
Maksim Manukyan (up to 64 kg) beat a Spaniard, but lost to a Georgian in the semifinals and then fell to a Bulgarian in the bronze medal match.
Boris Shatveryan (up to 79 kg) lost to a Russian in the round of 16, defeated a Croatian in the repechage round, but was again defeated by a Bulgarian in the decisive bronze match.
Arsen Khandjyan (up to 98 kg) started with a win over a Bosnian athlete but ended his run in the quarterfinals, losing to a Belarusian.
Among women, no medals were won either:
Arpine Amiryan (up to 50 kg) lost to a Ukrainian in the quarterfinals and then to a Belarusian in the bronze medal match.
Ani Mnatsakanyan (up to 59 kg) also exited the tournament with two losses — in the quarterfinals to a Spaniard and in the bronze match to a Romanian.
The competitions will continue in the coming days, and the Armenian team still has a chance to add to its medal tally.
The full roster of the Armenian national team can be viewed HERE.