Nigeria has announced a four-member team for their inaugural participation in the 13th African Games set to take place in Ghana from March 8 to 23, organized by the Sambo Association of Nigeria.
Derived from various martial arts such as judo, jujutsu, boxing, and folk wrestling, Sambo has gained recognition from the International Olympic Committee, though it has yet to be included in the Olympics program.
The Nigerian contingent comprises two male athletes, Jonah Kajido (79kg) and James Chegwam (58kg), along with two female athletes, Fatima Ogbonyomi (65kg) and Charity Jatau (59kg).
Sheriff Hammed, the Vice President of SAN, expressed enthusiasm regarding Nigeria's debut in the event, highlighting the careful selection of athletes based on their proficiency in the sport. He emphasized Nigeria's intention to make a significant impact at the African Games, especially since Sambo is being featured as a demonstration sport.
Hammed, who also serves as the joint Secretary of the International Association of Combative Sports (Africa), believes that Nigeria's participation will help promote Sambo within Africa and beyond, considering its rapid growth worldwide. He expressed hopes that Sambo would eventually become part of the Olympic sports roster.
Aside from Nigeria, other participating countries in the Sambo event include Algeria, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Congo DR, Egypt, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Niger Republic, Togo, and the host nation, Ghana.
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