Nigeria is set to make a historic entry into the 2024 World Sambo Championships, held from November 6 to 10 in Astana, Kazakhstan. This will be Nigeria’s first appearance at the global tournament, following an impressive performance at the African Beach Sambo Championships in Morocco.

Led by visually impaired sambist Samuel Oladele Kekere, Nigeria’s team will join competitors from 79 nations at the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace. Alongside Kekere, the team features African women’s champion Charity Jatau, James Chegwam, and Alani Balogun, all under the guidance of Lagos State coach Gbenga Montana.

Sheriff Hammed, Vice President and General Secretary of the Sambo Association of Nigeria, called this participation a significant milestone, especially with Kekere representing Africa as the only blind competitor in the event.

“It’s inspiring to see athletes, regardless of their challenges, given a chance to showcase their skills and make a living,” Hammed shared with PUNCH Sports Extra.

The championship will feature men’s and women’s sport sambo, combat sambo, and the first inclusion of men’s SVI-1 blind sambo, specifically for totally blind athletes, with a total of 31 medals at stake. Roman Novikov, Chairman of the FIAS Commission for Athletes with Disabilities, confirmed Kekere’s eligibility, emphasizing that he meets the international classification criteria for the SVI-1 class.

This event will also serve as a qualifying round for the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China. However, Hammed highlighted the financial challenges faced, noting that team members are currently self-funding their participation, and he urged support from the government and private organizations.

Lagos State Public Works has committed its support to the team. The President of the International Sambo Federation, Vasily Shestakov, praised the inclusion of blind athletes, saying, “Sambists with disabilities demonstrate remarkable resilience and a drive to compete on an equal footing.”