Blind and visually impaired athletes from 11 countries across Asia are due to face each other at the Beeline Arena in the Kazakh capital.

It is the first time sambists with visual impairments have taken part in the continental competition where they are poised to contest the men’s 58 kilogram, 64kg, 71kg, 79kg, 88kg, 98kg and over-98kg categories in both SVI-1 and SVI-2 classes.

All the divisions are set to be completed tomorrow before men’s and women’s combat sambo and sport sambo are scheduled to be held from Friday (June 9) to Sunday (June 11).

"This Championship will become truly historic, because in addition to traditional sambo competitions among adults, juniors, youth, as well as among masters, spectators will be able to watch fights among blind and visually impaired athletes," said Alamjon Mullaev, International Sambo Federation vice-president and head of the Sambo Union of Asia.

"In total, more than 600 athletes from 30 countries will take part in the competition.

"Blind and visually impaired sambists will represent 11 countries of the Asian continent at this Championship.

"Separately, I want to thank the Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, without whose help and support this tournament would not have taken place, as well as the Kazakhstan Federation of Sport and Combat Sambo and personally its leader Aidos Akzhanov."

Bekbolat Baizhanov, acting head of the sports and physical culture department of the Kazakh Culture and Sports Ministry, added: "This sport promotes friendship, patriotism and a healthy lifestyle.

"I wish all athletes that the competitions pass without injuries, and may the strongest win."

The event, sponsored by Russian oil company Rosneft, is due to feature athletes from Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Japan, Jordan, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Palestine, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.