The FIAS Executive Committee has ruled on the membership of India and Pakistan ©FIAS

The International Sambo Federation (FIAS) Executive Committee has changed which organisations are recognised as the National Federations of India and Pakistan at its latest meeting in Moscow.

March's meeting concluded with the Legal Commission submitting the issue of membership for India and Pakistan.

Both countries were accused of a violation of membership criteria and the FIAS Charter.

Based on the report from the Legal Commission, the Executive Committee decided to exclude the Sambo Federation of India and the Pakistan Sambo Federation as FIAS members.

They have been replaced in the FIAS membership by the Sambo India Association and the Sambo Federation of Pakistan.

This meeting was held at the office of the FIAS President, Vasily Shestakov, in a hybrid in-person and online format.

Also participating were FIAS secretary general Roberto Ferraris, vice-presidents Sergei Eliseev, Alamjon Mullaev, Dalil Skally and Omar Lopera, and Executive Committee members Laure Fournier, Cesar Arteaga, Tatjana Trivic, Merabi Iliadis, Chongkeum Moon, Nobuyuki Asai, Vladimir Yaprintsev and Vadim Rogach.

In his opening speech, Shestakov thanked the Serbian Sambo Federation for hosting the World Sambo Championships and the World Youth Sambo Championships in Novi Sad in late 2020, noting that 35 countries participated in the tournament.

Novi Sad hosted the 2020 World Sambo Championships ©FIAS
Novi Sad hosted the 2020 World Sambo Championships ©FIAS

The event was broadcast on television channels in 68 countries worldwide, reaching a total audience of more than 20 million, it was reported.

Serbia stepped up after Turkmenistan withdrew from staging the event over coronavirus concerns. 

"With confident strides, we are moving towards the establishment of a global information system enabling us to store and retrieve the relevant up-to-date information about athletes, clubs, competition results and much more in online mode," said Shestakov.

"In the near future, we plan to put into practice a qualification system that will allow athletes to take belt exams in clubs registered in our new database."

The meeting also confirmed Tashkent in Uzbekistan as the host of the 2021 World Sambo Championships, scheduled to take place from November 12 to 14.

Moscow was supposed to host the competition, but it was moved to comply with World Anti-Doping Agency sanctions which restrict Russia's ability to host major sporting events until December 16 2022.