Team of Sambo wrestlers prove they are fighting fit in British Sport Sambo Open Championships after securing medals

A team of sambo wrestlers recently took part in the British Sport Sambo Open Championships in Folkstone with five of the six competitors bringing home eight medals. The team from Sunderland Red Star Sambo Club in Roker coached by Barry Gibson, 48 including members from South Tyneside headed to the competition to compete against other sambo wrestlers.

Sambo wrestling was designed and used by the Soviet Red Army in the early 1920s in a bid to improve their hand-to-hand combat skills.

The club saw a win from Adam Jones, 29, from South Shields who has been training at the club for just 10 months.

Adam had entered two competitions prior to this one bagging himself silver and bronze medals and was able to secure a bronze medal at this competition.

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Stanislav Struzhanoff, 39, from Latvia, living in Dishforth, earned himself a silver medal in the masters division losing to an MMA legend and BJJ black belt. He then went on to secure a bronze medal in the senior division.

Next up was Phil Foster, 51 from South Shields, also competed in the masters and seniors divisions in his weight category to take the masters British gold medal and title and a hard fought silver medal in the seniors division despite being the oldest in his bracket by about 25 years.

Mark Stuck, 38, also from South Shields entered the masters and senior divisions taking silver medals in both, only narrowly losing out in both finals.

Head coach Barry of Whitburn also competed for the first time in two years due to injury and went on to dominate his opponents to take his fifth British Open gold medal to add to his World Masters bronze medal, and Commonwealth gold medal from previous years.

READ MORE: Jobs created at new Dicksons store thanks to £100,000 collaborationBarry said: “The success we have seen over the last few years has been phenomenal.

"My club has been running for 11 years now, and for a while it was just me competing and travelling around, now we have a team that are not only consistently competing, but also they’re reaching medal spots too! It’s amazing to see and to watch their development over time.

"There are now seven members of the club who will be eligible to represent Team GB in sambo at home and abroad.

"The success of the lads at the British Open and the other recent events have meant more to me than my own! It’s amazing to see their progress and watch them reaching and exceeding potential.”