The South American Mas-wrestling Championship kicked off with friendly embraces

During the opening ceremony, participants of the Open South American Championship in mas-wrestling fr om Brazil, Kyrgyzstan, Uruguay, France, the USA, and Burkina Faso gathered in a circle and embraced tightly as a symbol of unity around Sakha mas-wrestling. It was a highly symbolic moment that set the tone for the competition—every match unfolded in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual support.

This year, the venue for the competitions was situated directly across from the main stage, wh ere bodybuilders showcased from morning till evening. The flow of people passing by seemed endless. Whenever someone paused to watch the mas-wrestling matches on the platform, a dense "traffic jam" would form. 

The championship was previously announced as a qualifying event for the world championship set to take place in Kazan from November 26 to 30. As a result, athletes from ten states across Brazil gathered in São Paulo to compete.

Following the world championship, the Latin American team, comprised of seven men and two women in various weight categories, is scheduled to fly to Yakutsk for the Open Team Cup in mas-wrestling. Consequently, the competition for the gold medals was intense, as they would serve as an automatic ticket to the realm of high-level mas-wrestling.

A pivotal match took place in the men's 90 kg category, featuring seasoned competitors Evandro Pomina from Caxias do Sul and Erik Martins Campus from Florianopolis. With the score tied, fortune favored the mas-wrestler from Santa Catarina. Erik Campus also entered the absolute championship but fell to his 125 kg teammate Egon Henrique da Silva Currea in the final. Egon emerged as the day’s double champion, defeating all his rivals in his category and securing the title of absolute champion of the continent.

South American athletes face challenges in mastering the science of mas-wrestling due to the region’s official languages being Portuguese and Spanish. Remote learning options are unavailable, and training literature, even in English, is scarce, let alone in other languages.

In light of this, a decision was made to organize practical training sessions for local youth. World Champion Oliver Kurek from Slovakia, who has been serving as a referee at the invitation of the International Mas-wrestling Federation, along with Akylbek Urunbaev from Kyrgyzstan, a holder of the "Arnold Classic" and "Olympia" titles in mas-wrestling, expressed their desire to stay for a few days to conduct sessions at the gym of Ricardo Nort, a renowned athlete and mentor to three newly crowned champions of South America.

The work of the international delegation at the Arnold Classic South America was made possible thanks to the sponsorship support from the Joint-Stock Company "Yakut Railways," represented by Yulia Riasnova, who accompanied us throughout these days.

Uliana Vishniakova, a correspondent for Russia's leading sports television channel MATCH TV, became so enamored with our sport that she decided to film a report on the promotion of mas-wrestling in Brazil and Uruguay during her time off, in her well-deserved vacation. It’s wonderful to see our circle of like-minded individuals expanding. Our heartfelt thanks!

The united international team of organizers for the South American Mas-wrestling Championship worked in São Paulo at Arnold South America, representing SAQA OMUK. We appreciate the collaboration!

Women 65 kg

1. Giovanna Araujo Baserra – Brasil

2. Tamara Luiza Costa Correa – Brasil

Women 75 kg

1. Juliana De Silva Vendramin – Brasil          

2. Renata Martins De Oliveira – Brasil           

3. Aryana Araujo Do Nascimento – Brasil

3. Ana Beatriz Gleden Poderoso – Brasil

Men 70 kg

1. Osório de Lima Rodrigo – Brasil

2. Nonni Yacouba – Burkina Fasso    

3. Enzo Pinheiro Nanni – Brasil         

Men 80 kg

1. Senhorinha Da Silva Gabriel Dagostin – Brasil       

2. Andre Alves De Oliveira – Brasil

3. Cabara Paez Jorge Daniel – Uruguay         

3. Pedro Medeiros Neto – Brasil

Men 90 kg    

1. Campos Martins Eric – Brasil        

2. Richard Assis Da Silva – Brasil      

3. Lucio Carlos Schutz – Brasil          

3. Pomina Evandro – Brasil

Men 105 kg

1. Urunbaev Akylbek – Kyrgyzstan   

2. Sosa Reyes Viсente Gaston – Uruguay

3. Danilo Cordeiro Oliveira – Brasil   

3. Viana de Sá Pablo – Brasil

Men 125+ kg

1. Da Silva Correa Egon Henrique – Brasil

2. Joao Dejato Neto – Brasil

3. Marcello Arthur Frank Rocha – Brasil        

3. Bernardes Rafael - Brazil               

Chief Referee – V. Oliveira (Brazil), International category.

Chief Secretary – A-K. Anufrieva (Russia), National category.