Mauritius Hosts Landmark African Judo Events, Focusing on Professional Development
From September 3 to 7, 2025, Mauritius served as the vibrant center of African judo, hosting four major competitions – the kata African Championships, the Veterans Championships, the African Cadet and Junior Cup, and the Mauritius Open. These events represent a crucial step in preparing African judokas for future international competitions,including the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The competitions were preceded by a vital refereeing seminar on September 3rd at the Côte d’Or National Sports Complex.Led by Ababacar Ngom, Chief Director of Arbitration for the African Judo Union (UAJ), and Khaled Anwar, Director of Arbitration, the seminar trained 64 arbitrators and coaches on recent rule changes for the 2024-2028 Olympic cycle. A key focus was on “precision points,” a refined scoring system introduced after the Budapest World Championships,designed to ensure fairer and more rigorous arbitration.
Alongside the refereeing development, a first-of-its-kind Kata seminar was held in collaboration with the UAJ’s arbitration department. Led by UAJ Kata Commissioner Thomas Dunker and Cornelius Mattyser of the African Kata Commission, the seminar aimed to increase the number of qualified Kata judges across the continent, preparing candidates for exams held on September 6th during the Senior Kata Championships.
These initiatives highlight the commitment of African leaders to professionalize and improve all aspects of judo, from combat technique to technical notation.
Senegalese judo shone brightly at the competitions, securing two gold medals. Rayan Dacosta (-90 kg) delivered a notably remarkable performance,winning a hard-fought battle against Mauritius’ Rémi Feuillet in front of a passionate home crowd. Mbagnick Ndiaye (+100 kg) further solidified his dominance,adding another gold to his impressive collection of 15 major titles. These successes demonstrate Senegal’s growing strength in african judo.
The return of judo events to Port Louis after a hiatus is a positive development for the region, and the inclusion of the African Veterans Championship in the African Open calendar broadens the sport’s appeal and recognizes the value of experience at all ages.
