Nigeria ready for 18th African Sambo Championships
Following their impressive performance at the 13th African Games in Ghana, Nigeria is set to compete at the 18th African Sambo Championships in Cairo, Egypt, from June 1 to 3.
The Nigerian contingent will be led by gold medalist Charity Jatau and include silver medalist Fatima Ogbonyomi in the women’s category, while African Games bronze medalist James Chegwam will compete in the men’s category.
The team is scheduled to depart Nigeria on Wednesday, May 29, aboard Egypt Air to participate in the three-day tournament held at the Cairo International Stadium. The events will include sport sambo, combat sambo, and beach sambo.
Sheriff Hammed, Vice President of the Sambo Association of Nigeria (SAN), expressed excitement about the sport’s growth in Nigeria and the athletes’ performance in Ghana. He stated, “We are excited that sambo is gaining ground in Nigeria, and the performance of the athletes in Ghana has shown that with more support, Nigeria can rival the best sambo nations in Africa.”
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Hammed, who also serves as Joint Secretary of Africa for the International Association of Combative Sports (IACS), emphasised the importance of participating in the tournament to further popularize sambo in Nigeria. He noted that the competition would help showcase the sport’s uniqueness and attract more interest.
Despite infrastructural challenges, Hammed highlighted the need to effectively utilize existing combat sports facilities, suggesting a collaborative approach to enhance current infrastructures while aiming for the long-term goal of building new facilities.
The tournament will feature top athletes, including Seidou Nji Mouluh of Cameroon, a two-time World Combat Sambo Champion and multiple African Combat Sambo Champion, who is also a member of the FIAS athletes commission.
Overall, Nigeria’s participation in the African Sambo Championships represents a significant step in promoting and developing the sport within the country, with hopes for a strong performance akin to their success at the African Games in Ghana.
