• Nigeria, Turkey, India and the US have arrived for the competition, whose starting date has been pushed by a week to August 31 due to financial issues.
•Kenya Tong- Il Moo-do Federation Secretary General, Elvis Malipe said the 12th edition will feature 70 Kenyan players, the biggest number yet in the competition.
Image: JOHN CHESOLI
Four countries are already in the country for the 12th Mombasa Open Tong-Il Moo-Do International Martial Arts Championships despite the uncertainty surrounding the event.
Nigeria, Turkey, India and the US have arrived for the competition, whose starting date has been delayed by a week to August 31 due to financial issues.
This year’s competition has attracted 27 teams from Asia, the USA and Africa— most of whom have been regular features in the Mombasa show for the last 11 years.
Kenya Tong- Il Moo-do Federation Secretary General, Elvis Malipe said the 12th edition will feature 70 Kenyan players, the biggest number yet in the competition.
Malipe, who is also the team captain, said the dates for the event have been adjusted due to the funding constraints.
He, however, assured that the government, through the Ministry of Sports, have committed to resolve the issue this week.
“We thank the Ministry of Sports for supporting us all along. The delay in the start of the tournament will also help us bring in critical equipment that had been delayed and officials who are yet to arrive,” Malipe said.
World Tong-Il Moo-Do Federation president grandmaster Takamitsu Hoshiko said the tournament will play a pivotal role in taking the sport to the Olympics.
Takamitsu said the support from the government over the last decade has been the key to the success of the previous competitions.
“Without the support of the government, this would not be possible for all the last 11 editions,” Hoshiko said.
He said the Olympic dream of the Tong-Il Moo-Do fraternity is still valid, adding that the Mombasa tournament is a key stepping stone towards the Olympics.
“Through this experience in Mombasa, we will be better placed for the Olympics because of the different religions, cultures, races and languages that converge as one family.
“We compete, yes and put out our best performances, but we respect each other. Tong-Il Moo-Do has a clear philosophy. The Kenyan government should expect Tong-Il Moo-Do to raise many young people who love peace and can be leaders in the future,” Malipe said.
Ibrahim Mchumba, Team Jasiri’s coach, said they have a big task on their hands to defend their title.
He said the delay in the disbursement of funds from the ministry has not affected much of the preparations, saying they all remain hopeful.
“We get support from the federation and they check on us every day. This is enough motivation for us. We have been preparing since the start of the year,” Mchumba said.
Lornah Abiero, a member of Jasiri, said they have been diligently preparing for the tournament in camp for the last two weeks.
“We arrived in Mombasa early and trained together. We have gelled as a team and for those of us who do not stay in Mombasa, we have already acclimatised to the weather and It will not be a problem for us,” she said.
She called on fans to show up in numbers to cheer Team Jasiri and was looking forward to Team Kenya winning more medals.
“However, in martial arts, there is no losing. All of us are winners. Either we win or we learn, but as Team Jasir, we are ready to win,” Abiero said.
Nigeria’s Rita Ogine, however, said the time has come for Team Jasiri to play second fiddle to Nigeria, revealing that they have mastered new winning techniques to beat the hosts.
“For the past three months, we have been preparing for this tourney. This is my second time in Mombasa and the first time for the rest of the team,” she said.
She said this time, Nigeria have brought more players to the competition and hope to scoop more medals.
Nigeria have for the past 11 editions finished third or fourth, but Ogine said this time they are going for the top spot.
Roneek Singh, from India, the first county to arrive for the tournament on August 21, said more of the teams from India will be arriving ahead of the start of the tournament on August 31.
“We just learned that the dates have been adjusted to August 31 so we have like one more week of training."
Turkiye’s Omer Atslan hope to raise his country’s flag in sparring.
“I am the only athlete so far but more are coming. I hope to take home the gold,” he said. He, however, acknowledged there will be stiff competition but also expressed confidence he will hit the jackpot on his first attempt.
“This is my first entry but I believe it is a doable competition and I have trained thoroughly. I am ready,” he said.