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Nigeria will make history as the country debuts at the 2024 World Sambo Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, from November 6 to 10, following their impressive outing at the African Beach Sambo Championships in Morocco.
The Nigerian contingent, led by blind sambist Samuel Oladele Kekere, will join athletes from 79 other countries at the wrestling palace named after Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace.
African women’s champion Charity Jatau, alongside James Chegwam and Alani Balogun, complete Team Nigeria under the tutelage of Lagos State coach Gbenga Montana.
Sambo Association of Nigeria Vice President and General Secretary, Sheriff Hammed, described Nigeria’s participation as groundbreaking, particularly with Kekere being Africa’s sole representative in the blind event.
“It’s giving them hope. Despite their challenges, they can make a living, do something for themselves, and make themselves proud. It’s quite amazing,” Hammed told PUNCH Sports Extra.
The championship will feature men’s and women’s sport sambo, combat sambo, and for the first time, men’s SVI-1 (totally blind athletes) blind sambo, with 31 medals up for grabs.
FIAS Commission for Athletes with Disabilities Chairman, Roman Novikov, has confirmed Kekere’s eligibility, stating, “Your athlete meets the criteria of the international classification rules for blind sambo in class SVI-1.”
The tournament will serve as the final qualifying event for the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China.
Hammed, however, highlighted funding challenges, revealing that participation is currently self-sponsored while calling for support from government, individuals, as well as corporate and private organisations.
The Lagos State Public Works has pledged support for the team’s participation at the championship.
International Sambo Federation President Vasily Shestakov praised the inclusion of blind athletes, saying, “Sambists with health limitations show great desire to compete on an equal basis, demonstrating their steely will and fortitude.”
