Ouagadougou: The Burkinabè Sambo sports association, in partnership with the African Initiative association, organized a Sambo competition on Saturday to strengthen links between practitioners from Burkina, Mali and Niger.

‘Sport is a key area of our association. We want to make people known through sport, culture, education and science,’ declares Azenwo Soumaïla Ayo, President of the African Initiative Association.

For him, sport is a means through which the people of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) manage to fraternize.

Mr. Ayo spoke on Saturday in Ouagadougou on the occasion of the first edition of the ‘Vladimir Poutine’ international Sambo tournament.

The competition saw the participation of 27 Burkinabè practitioners, 9 Malians, 9 Nigeriens and 2 Russians.

‘We witnessed a great tournament with really committed athletes. The public also came out massively to support the actors,’ rejoices the President of African Initiative.

Sambo is a martial art and combat sport consisting of the techniques of w
restling, judo, karate, boxing and various traditional wrestling body forms.

This tournament brought together men and women athletes in the -58 kg, -64 kg, -71 kg and under 98 kg categories.

‘Sambo tournaments are organized all over the world. We added the name of the Russian president with the aim of bringing the two peoples together,’ says Dapla Palenfo, President of the Burkinabè Sambo sports association.

‘With the current dynamic of bringing together the people of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, we thought that sport can contribute to working to ensure that there is cohesion, understanding and above all peace’ adds Mr. Palenfo.

‘For a new discipline that is very little known, athletes are starting to get into the swing of things, we think the level is acceptable’ notes the President of the Sambo association.

At the end of the tournament, in the general ranking, Niger is declared first followed by Burkina. The podium is completed by Mali.

The under 98 kg category was won by Burkinabè Ilara Abdoul Malic
k.

Numerous prizes consisting of medals, certificates and sums of money were awarded to the most deserving.

All the stakeholders wanted to see the association become a federation in the coming years.

Sambo is a complete sport that began in 1930 in the Soviet Union, now Russia.

He entered Burkina Faso in September 2021.

The Burkinabè Sambo Sports Association (ASBS) works to promote the discipline in the land of honest men.

The ASBS estimates to date, 200 Sambo practitioners in Burkina.

It has 10 formal clubs including 4 in the central region, 3 in the northern region and 3 in the central-west.

Source: Burkina Information Agency