Cameroon SAMBO Championship – Jean-Paul Mbouelle Grand Prix Held in Yaoundé

The Cameroon National SAMBO Championship in memory of Jean-Paul Mbouelle took place on March 28 at the BEAC Complex in Yaoundé. A total of 125 athletes competed across various weight categories in both sport and combat sambo events, with separate divisions for men and women.

“The tournament served as an opportunity to identify talent and carry out preliminary selection of athletes for the African Sambo Championship, scheduled to be held in Egypt from June 13 to 15. Several young sambo practitioners had a standout performance and will now go head-to-head with established competitors,” the Cameroonian SAMBO Federation said in a statement.

The Jean-Paul Mbouelle Grand Prix also marked the debut of a new generation of referees who joined the Cameroon Sambo Federation's officiating roster following a national refereeing seminar. The training event, held in Yaoundé on February 21-22 under the guidance of international referee François Nama, resulted in the selection of a new pool of Cameroonian officials.

“Hosting national competitions at a high standard is a priority for us. It not only ensures the best possible conditions for our athletes to perform, but also helps raise the profile of sambo across the country,” said François Mbassi, President of the Cameroonian SAMBO Federation.