Press releases

16 May 2026

Belarus' Patachyts, Kandratsyeva win European sambo titles

Daniil Patachyts. Photo from the Sports Ministry archive

MINSK, 16 May (BelTA) - Belarusian athletes won five medals on the first day of the 2026 European Sambo Championships in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, BelTA has learned.

The tally of Team Belarus includes two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. Daniil Patachyts claimed victory in the men's weight -98kg. Throughout the tournament, the Belarusian defeated sambo wrestlers from Israel, Ukraine, and Russia, and in the final he was stronger than Georgian Nika Sidamonidze.

Also, Maryia Kandratsyeva proved the strongest on the continent in the women's +80kg. In the preliminary rounds, the Belarusian athlete defeated opponents from Ukraine and Spain, and in the gold medal match, she overcame Albina Cholombitko from Russia. Maryia Kandratsyeva defended the European champion title she had won a year ago in Cyprus.

Belarus’ Anfisa Kapayeva earned the silver medalist in -50kg. On her way to the final, the Belarusian defeated athletes from Moldova and Spain, but in the decisive match she lost to Russian Margarita Barneva.

Bronze medals were won by Tatsiana Matsko (-59kg) and Anzhela Zhylinskaya (-72kg); in the medal matches, both Belarusians overcame athletes from Israel. In the men’s circuit Belarus’ Ihar Mirayeuski (-64kg) and Ilya Lamivarotau (-9 kg) suffered defeats in their bouts for third place.