Judo: Algeria to host the 2022 African Championships

Algeria will host the 43rd African Judo Championships (men and women) in 2022. The official document awarding the organisation to Algeria was signed on Sunday by the Secretary of State in charge of elite sports, Salima Souakri, and the president of the African Union of the discipline, the Malagasy Randrianasoloniako-Niaiko Siteny.

After Senegal 2021, it is now Algeria that takes the torch for the organisation of the 43rd African Judo Championships (men and women) in 2022. The signing ceremony of the document took place on the sidelines of the General Assembly of the International Judo Federation, held in Budapest, Hungary, during which Salima Souakri was elected, Thursday, member of the executive board.

Her compatriot Mohamed Meridja was also re-elected within the same structure. The former Algerian judoka Salima Souakri made a point of « paying tribute to all the actors of the national sports movement, for the return of Algeria, after 22 years of absence, to the organisation of this great continental judo event ».

Moreover, world judo is in the spotlight with the kick-off, this Sunday, of the World Championships in Budapest, which will continue until 13 June. Algeria is represented by 7 judokas. Wail Ezzine will be the first to compete, and from the second day of competition, scheduled for Monday. He has been placed in pool C of the -66 kg and he will start in the first round against Ayoub El Idrissi from Qatar.

On Tuesday, it will be Fethi Nourine’s turn to take to the tatami, in pool C of -73 kg, where he will start in the first round against the Brazilian Edouardo Barbosa. For her part, Belkadi Amina has been relegated to pool D of the -63 kg. She will make her debut on Wednesday morning, against the Austrian Magdalena Krssakova. On Thursday, it will be Abderrahmane Benamadi’s turn to make his debut in the competition. He has been placed in pool C of the -90 kg, where he will face the South Korean Han Juyeop in the first round.

Next Friday, Kaouthar Ouallal (-78 kg) and Mustapha Yasser Bouamar (-100 kg) will both compete, respectively, in the women’s -78 kg and the men’s -100 kg pools. Ouallal will face the Dutch Guusje Steenuis, while Bouamar will challenge the Bulgarian Daniel Dichev. On Saturday, Sonia Asselah, who was exempted from the 1st round in the women’s +78 kg pool C. She starts directly in the 2nd round, against the winner of the match between the Bosnian Borjana Marjanac and the Hungarian Mercedesz Szigetvari.