Kinshasa Hosts 3rd National SAMBO Championships of the Democratic Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo held its 3rd National SAMBO Championships in Kinshasa from 27 February to 1 March at the gymnasium of the Martyrs' Stadium in the country's capital.

More than a hundred athletes – men and women – representing five provinces competed in Sport SAMBO and Combat SAMBO.

“Such strong participation reflects the growing interest in SAMBO across the country, where the sport is still in its formative stages,” noted the Fédération Nationale Congolaise de SAMBO et Disciplines Associées (FANACOSA-DA), which organized the event.

At the opening ceremony, FANACOSA-DA President Léon Vilé made no effort to conceal his pride in what has been achieved: “What was simply a vision is materialising step by step. And most importantly – we are already hosting the third championship,” he said.

Vilé also announced plans for a national educational seminar for referees and coaches, dedicated to the rules of SAMBO and the sport's international development framework. The initiative is designed to strengthen SAMBO's standing on the national sporting scene and lay the groundwork for Congolese athletes to compete at the international level.