The 12th edition of the Mombasa Open Tong-Il Moo-Do International Martial Arts Championship ended on a high at the Aga Khan Academy Multi-Purpose Hall.
The tournament returned to Mombasa after last year’s edition was postponed and eventually suspended since the Kenya Tong-Il Moo-Do Federation (KMTF) could not host due to financial constraints.
KTMF president Clarence Mwakio said the championship was a success and they expect it to get better due to the more countries seeking to participate.
“The tournament has been a great success despite the many challenges we faced last year and the better part of this year. We have had a huge turnout from teams across the world and if it were not for the lack of clarity on whether we are hosting or not, we would have had seen more countries taking part,” Mwakio said.
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Zambia’s Mustapha Ngwenye beat Kenya’s Evans Wambua in the final to snatch the 54.9kg and below male fin weight division gold medal.
Shukurani Charo and Raphael Ringa added bronze to Kenya’s medal basket in the category.
The 70kg to 74.9kg male light weight division was also a Kenya and Zambia affair with the latter carrying the day once again through Mambali Kabik, who beat John Mvuko Mbaji in the final. Isaac Kazanga of Zambia and homeboy Tony Simiyu settled for bronze.
Ruvy Lyn Alcosero of the Philippines won the women’s sparring gold after dismissing Nigeria’s Yusrallah Abdulraheem in the final.
Alcosero’s teammates Elrose Tumanda and Jeniffer Bertulfo took bronze. Bertulfo, who has featured in the championship before, said she was glad to compete here and represent her country well once again.
“I actually feel happy to be here since this is my third time to be in Mombasa. I feel blessed because it’s not a mean thing to represent my country,” she said. Preston Mwakio bagged the boys’ 14 to 17 years junior male sparring gold medal after overpowering fellow Kenyan Yusuf Khamisi in the final.
Homeboys Abdalla Mohamed Shaban and Leon Trevor completed the podium. Shaban and Trevor lost to Mwakio and Khamisi respectively in the semi-finals to settle for bronze.
Emmanuel Kentana carried the day in the six to 13 years male junior sparring contest following victory against Enos Kiplagat in a contest that saw Barry Gift Wekesa and Jelani Joseph take bronze.
India’s Erica De Se queira emerged tops in the 14 to 17 years female junior sparring contest after beating Kenya’s Shelvin Musanga in the final, while Debra Osena and Gabriel Kanaga, who lost in the semi-finals, took bronze.
In the six to 13 years junior female sparring challenge, Mwanashabani Bakari beat teammate Naomi Chebet in the final to snatch gold with another Kenyan Zahra Khamis and India’s Lavanya De Sequeira taking bronze.