FIAS has confirmed the hosts of the 2021 and 2022 World Sambo Championships ©FIAS

The International Sambo Federation (FIAS) has confirmed Moscow will host the 2021 World Sambo Championships and voted for Ashgabat to stage the 2022 edition.

The decisions came at the latest FIAS Executive Committee meeting, which was held remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The FIAS Executive Committee approved the decision taken last month to move the World Sambo Championships from Turkmenistan to Novi Sad in Serbia this year.

FIAS said it was not possible to stage the World Sambo Championships in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat because of the coronavirus crisis.

Novi Sad was already scheduled to host the World Youth and Junior Sambo Championships, with the senior event now added to the schedule with competition taking place from November 5 to 8.

The FIAS Executive Committee still plans to bring the World Sambo Championships to Ashgabat after voting in favour of the city hosting the 2022 event.

Russia's capital Moscow was confirmed as the 2021 host, following approval by the Executive Committee.

Having originally been awarded the Championships in 2019, the event is not expected to be affected by a ban on Russia being awarded or hosting major events during the four years is among the sanctions that will come into effect if the Russian Anti-Doping Agency loses its appeal against the World Anti-Doping Agency decision to declare the organisation non-compliant.

Turkmenistan was unable to host this year's World Championships but has been named as the 2022 venue ©FIAS
Turkmenistan was unable to host this year's World Championships but has been named as the 2022 venue ©FIAS

International Federations are free to give major events to Russia before the ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The case is set to be heard from November 2 to 5.

FIAS says its Executive Committee also approved a number of changes to the organisation's charter and the FIAS calendar in 2021.

Amendments were made to the rules for sport sambo, combat sambo and weight categories in the masters age group.

Changes were also made to "International Sambo Rules for the Blind and Visually Impaired", "Sambo Classification Rules for the Blind and Visually Impaired" and "regulations on FIAS referees".

Russia was awarded the 2021 World Championships as the country's Government approved the establishment of a working group aimed at increasing the popularity of the martial art.

The working group will be chaired by Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin.

Further details regarding the working group and its plan are expected at a later date, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.