Sambo was one of 14 sports to miss out on provisional recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in December as the International Cheer Union and International Federation of Muaythai Amateur were both accepted.

It marked the latest snub for the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) which had been hopeful of being put forward for full recognition at the IOC Session in Rio de Janeiro in August, only to be overlooked along with several other Federations.

But despite the set-backs, Zhukov believes the future is bright for sambo.

"Sambo wrestling is on a fast track of development and more countries keep joining this sport," he said.

"More and more countries join the international competitions and the most important for us now is to join the Olympic family, however, this is not a speedy process."

Sambo is currently on the sports programme of several continental Games, including those in Europe, Asia and Central America.

FIAS President Vasily Shestakov told insidethegames in December that IOC recognition is the only step the FIAS desires for the time being.

Two months earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin, an Honorary President of FIAS, called for "every effort" to be made to have sambo recognised by the IOC while addressing a session of the Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sport. 

Russia is very much the dominant force in sambo, which originated in the Soviet Union in the 1920s when soldiers of the then-Soviet Army developed their own hand-to-hand combat technique.

The word "sambo" is a Russian acronym, which literally means "self-defence without weapons".