KATHMANDU: Nepal Sambo Federation organised the 1st Junior National Sambo Championship in Gongabu of Kathmandu on Saturday. International Sambo Federation (FIAS) Disciplinary Committee Secretary Jun Morita was the judge of competition while Professor of Nihon Wellness Sports University, Japan, Yasuhiro Tanaka, was the referee. In the Female category of the competition, Sarika Theeng won the gold medal and Kriti Sharma won the silver medal. Sushmita Ale Magar and Anita Tamang won bronze medals. In the Male category Dinesh Chhantyal won the gold medal and David Gharti Magar won the silver. Pratik shrestha and Danel Ghale won the bronze medals. Addressing the programme, the chief guest, the National Sports Council (NSC) member Fatta Bahadur Gurung assured that he would take necessary steps in the NSC to promote Sambo sport. Professor Tanaka and master Morita, who arrived in Nepal on Wednesday, had instructed and taught Sambo techniques, while inspecting the performance of Nepali Sambo players on Thursday and Friday. Professor Tanaka, who won Japan National Sambo senior 74 kg class champion in 1989 and 1991, assured to take Nepali Sambo Players to Japan for some special training in near future. FIAS Disciplinary Committee Secretary Morita said that the Federation has been taking steps to include Sambo in Olympic Games. Nepal Sambo Federation Central Treasurer Krishna Bahadur Raut, Vice President Pratap Ghising and President Dan Bahadur Ghising and others were present in the programme including Bhagawati Majhi, a bronze medalist in women’s 52 kg category in Beach Sambo at the 2014 Asian Beach Games held in Phuket, Thailand. The Russian martial art, Sambo, began in 1938. It was developed adopting the efficient techniques from Judo and simple wrestling techniques for the Russian military for the defence attack without weapons. Sambo has been noted as the foundation for many famous MMA fighters such as Fedor Emelianenko and Oleg Taktarov. Currently, there are only two training centres for Sambo in Kathmandu: Marigold Health Club in Gangabu and Shivapuri Higher Secondary School in Maharajgunj.