After an impressive performance at the African Beach Sambo Championships in Morocco, Nigeria will make history when it makes its debut at the 2024 World Sambo Championships to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan from November 6th to 10th. .
Nigeria’s squad, led by blind sunbist Samuel Oladele Kekele, will join athletes from 79 other countries at the Wrestling Palace, named after the Zaksilik Ushkempylov Budokan.
African women’s champion Charity Jatau along with James Chegwam and Alani Balogun complete the Nigeria team under the guidance of Lagos State coach Gbenga Montana.
Sheriff Hameed, Vice-President and General Secretary of the Nigeria Sambo Association, said Nigeria’s participation was a milestone, especially with Kekere being the only African representative in the visually impaired competition.
“It’s giving them hope. Despite the hardships, they can make a living and do something for themselves and be proud of themselves. It’s really amazing.” Hamed told PUNCH Sports Extra.
The championship will feature men’s and women’s sports sambo, combat sambo, and for the first time the men’s SVI-1 blind sambo, with 31 medals up for grabs.
Roman Novikov, chairman of the FIAS Commission for Disabled Athletes, confirmed Kekele’s eligibility, saying: “Your athlete meets the criteria of the International Classification Rules for Blind Sambo in class SVI-1.”
This tournament will serve as the final qualifying event for the 2025 World Games to be held in Chengdu, China.
However, Hamed highlighted the funding challenge, saying that while participation is currently self-financed, support is being sought from governments, individuals, businesses and private organizations.
The Lagos State Public Works has pledged to support the team in participating in the championship.
Vasily Shestakov, president of the International Sambo Federation, praised the participation of visually impaired athletes, saying, “Sambo players with limited health demonstrate a great desire to compete on an equal footing and demonstrate their steely will and indomitable spirit.” It shows spirit.”
