Nigeria Makes History With First-Ever Entry Into 2024 World Sambo Championships

Nigeria Makes History With First-Ever Entry Into 2024 World Sambo Championships

Nigeria is set to make its debut in the 2024 World Sambo Championships, which will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from November 6 to 10. This historic participation follows Nigeria’s impressive showing at the recent African Beach Sambo..…….CONTINUE READING 

Championships in Morocco, where the team demonstrated remarkable talent and determination.

The Nigerian team will be led by Samuel Oladele Kekere, an inspiring blind sambist, and will include standout athletes like reigning African women’s champion Charity Jatau, alongside James Chegwam and Alani Balogun. Under the guidance of Lagos State coach Gbenga Montana, Team Nigeria has undergone rigorous training to prepare for this monumental event.

Held at the prestigious Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace, this championship will see athletes from 79 countries competing. A notable feature of this event is its inclusivity, with Kekere set to compete in the blind sambo category—marking a major milestone for African athletes with disabilities.

The competition will include men’s and women’s sport sambo, combat sambo, and, for the first time, men’s SVI-1 blind sambo for totally blind athletes, with 31 medals up for grabs. Roman Novikov, Chairman of the FIAS Commission for Athletes with Disabilities, confirmed that Kekere meets the criteria for the SVI-1 blind sambo classification.

Significantly, this championship also serves as the last qualifying event for the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, adding further importance to Nigeria’s participation.