Congress of the African SAMBO Confederation Held in Guinea

On May 23, on the eve of the African SAMBO Championships, the Congress of the African SAMBO Confederation took place in Conakry, the capital of Guinea. The forum brought together delegates from 19 countries across the continent, reaffirming the strong interest in the development of SAMBO in Africa.

Representatives from Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, and Tunisia took part in the Congress.

President of the African SAMBO Confederation Dalil Skalli delivered the opening address to the participants. He highlighted the significant achievements of African athletes on the international stage, emphasizing that their success is the result of many years of systematic work. Skalli also noted that the continent’s potential in SAMBO is far from exhausted, and the efforts being made today will undoubtedly bear fruit in the future.

The Congress’s guest of honor was Keamou Bogola Haba, Minister of Youth and Sports of Guinea. In his speech, he stressed that hosting the African SAMBO Championships in Guinea is an important step for the development of sport in the country. The Minister expressed hope that the interest of young people in SAMBO would increase:

"Perhaps in the future, SAMBO will become even more popular than football in our country," the Minister said, prompting smiles and enthusiastic applause in the hall.

In turn, President Dalil Skalli thanked the host country for organizing the tournament and expressed his confidence that the championship in Guinea would be held at the highest level.

During the Congress, delegates shared updates on the SAMBO development projects underway in their respective countries, exchanged experiences, and raised questions to the leadership of the continental confederation.

A preliminary competition calendar for the coming years was also presented. One of the key decisions made was the selection of the host country for the next continental tournament: it was announced that Niger is set to host the 2026 African SAMBO Championships. It is worth noting that Niger previously hosted the championship in 2016 and has proven experience in organizing SAMBO events.

“The Congress in Conakry showed that SAMBO in Africa is steadily developing, uniting nations, athletes, and ideas. And this journey will continue!” emphasized Dalil Skalli.