Nigeria made a remarkable entry into the 18th African Sambo Championships in Egypt, clinching five medals over three thrilling days at the Cairo International Stadium.
According to The PUNCH, the Nigerian trio, all medalists at the previous African Games where Sambo was featured as a demonstration sport, showcased their prowess against competitors from 21 other African nations.
The country’s athletes, who had shone at the last African Games in Ghana where Sambo was introduced, demonstrated exceptional skill. Charity Jatau stood out by securing the only gold for Nigeria in the women’s 59kg category.
Jatau, a former African Games gold medalist, displayed incredible confidence in the final against Egypt’s Ragar Alaa, defeating her opponent 5-2 to secure Nigeria’s first gold and medal at the continental championships.
On the same day, Fatima Ogbonyomi fought her way to the final but narrowly missed out on another gold, settling for silver in the women’s 65kg division after losing to Morocco’s Wissal 3-0.
The sole male athlete, James Chegwam, progressed to the final from his bronze medal win at the African Games, defeating opponents from Togo and DR Congo. Despite a spirited effort, he settled for silver in the men’s 58kg category after losing to his Moroccan rival.
Jatau and Chegwam also secured bronze medals in beach Sambo earlier in the competition, further adding to Nigeria’s medal tally.
Returning with a gold and a bronze, Jatau expressed her joy, describing the experience as immensely rewarding.
“I thank the federation for believing in us despite being our maiden outing in the competition and we have proved that we can compete with the rest of the world with this kind of performance. I hope this will also help to launch us to the global platform to compete at the world level,” Jatau said.
Vice President of the Sambo Association of Nigeria, Sheriff Hammed, commended the athletes for their outstanding performance, noting that they had made the country proud on their debut at the championships.
“We are very impressed with the athletes’ performance and with this outing, Nigeria has joined the elite teams from Africa that will also be considered to compete at the world level. I must commend the athletes for their professionalism throughout the competition and we hope this performance will inspire other athletes to join the sport and help to popularise the sport in Nigeria,” Hammed said.
