Following its impressive outing at the 13th African Games in Ghana, Nigeria has been listed among the teams that will compete at the 18th African Sambo Championships holding in Cairo, Egypt, from June 1 to 3.
The three-man Nigerian contingent is made up of the three medalists at the 13th African Games led by gold medalist Charity Jatau, as well as silver medalist Fatima Ogbonyomi, who will compete in the women’s category, while the only male competitor is African Games bronze medalist James Chegwam.
The team will depart for Egypt today aboard an Egypt Air flight for the three-day continental showpiece.
The three-day tournament will hold at Cairo International Stadium with the athletes competing in sport sambo, combat sambo and beach sambo at the continental tournament.
According to the Vice President of the Sambo Association of Nigeria (SAN), Sheriff Hammed, the performances of the athletes stunned the continental body, which decided to include the team in the list of participating countries heading to Egypt.
“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.
“We have decided to honour the invitation of the continental body to attend for the first time in Egypt, and we hope and believe our athletes will again show their qualities against the rest of Africa, just like they did in Ghana.
“I must admit that our performance in Ghana has given us hope that the sport has come to stay, and we are working tirelessly to ensure that the sport is popular across the country. We are also hopeful of a good outing in Egypt,” Hammed said.
Among the top athletes expected to lightup the tournament is two-time World Combat Sambo Champion, and multiple African Combat Sambo Champion, who is also a member of FIAS athletes’ commission, Seidou Nji Mouluh of Cameroon.
