The Amur Tiger Centre and the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at joining efforts to develop and promote sambo wrestling, as well as preserving and increasing the Amur tiger population. According to the document, the parties plan to join hands in organising and holding charity, sport, performance and other events. Also, the Amur tiger was approved by the FIAS Executive Committee as sambo’s official mascot.

“Sambo wrestling teaches people how to defend themselves and their loved ones. Social responsibility is an important development direction in this sport, and the social projects adopted by the FIAS are the key priority. This is why the Executive Committee, which met in Moscow at the end of March, unanimously supported the initiative to protect the Amur tiger and adopted the tiger image as the federation’s official mascot,” FIAS President Vasily Shestakov said.

According to Andrei Smirnov, Director General of the Amur Tiger Centre, the world community will learn about the Amur tiger due to cooperation with the International Sambo Federation. “It is noteworthy that the Amur tiger, which lives mostly in our country, will become the mascot of a Russian martial art. We hope that the tiger mascot will be loved by professional and amateur athletes, all sambo enthusiasts around the world, and thus will raise awareness of the need to preserve this rare animal,” Mr Smirnov added. “Only by combining our efforts will we be able to preserve the Amur tiger for future generations.”