FIAS aims to promote and develop SAMBO as a genuine Sport for All © FIAS

French sambist Nathalie Cariou represented the International Sambo Federation at the INTERACT+ seminar in Linz, Austria. The event, held on December 7-8, was organized by the International Fistball Association (IFA) under the leadership of the International Association of Sports for All (TAFISA). The seminar aims to encourage athletes, coaches and sports organisations to implement “Sport for All” in various events.

“I am convinced that multidisciplinary synergies offered and brought by such innovation can be beneficial and effective in helping implement Sport for All in a sustainable way by proposing proven tools and practices, new original ways to make the discipline accessible to more people and thus allow them to benefit from all the wonderful benefits of sport in their life,” noted 7-time French SAMBO champion among masters Nathalie Cariou, who represented FIAS at the seminar.

This first seminar begins a series of events that will run until 2025. It brought together 13 participants from various disciplines and international sports organisations, including ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation), FIAS (International SAMBO Federation), IFA (International Fistball Association), GFDF (German Flying Disc Federation), along with TAFISA Project Coordination team members.

Nathalie Cariou (third from the left) with her colleagues © FIAS
Nathalie Cariou (third from the left) with her colleagues © FIAS

The seminar was co-presented by Nathalie Cariou, a former SAMBO athlete, Jörg Benner, EFDF Sport for All Advisor / GFDF (German Flying Disc Federation) Executive Director, Rachel Mait, TAFISA Project Coordinator, and Mayssa Bsaibes, a member of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

“Participating in this project is not only about wanting to do better for more people but also about thinking about and creating a concrete strategy dedicated to SAMBO for All, policy papers, programs, and events where, for example, disabled people will be able to practise SAMBO in an innovative way,” Nathalie Cariou noted.

According to the organisers, the workshop serves as a collaborative platform, fostering the exchange of ideas and brainstorming about optimal strategies. Attendees immerse themselves, applying their respective knowledge and experiences to design events, programs, and policies for integrating Sport for All into their discipline.

“Through its assets in the INTERACT+ 2023-2025 project, FIAS aims to promote and develop SAMBO as a genuine Sport for All. This involves making SAMBO inclusive, increasing accessibility to practise, encouraging adapted training in clubs, innovating new indoor and outdoor practice methods, and creating SAMBO for All events where everyone can participate in sports,” Nathalie Cariou added.