MOMBASA, Kenya, Dec 22 – The government has been called upon to fete the national Tong Il Moo Do team for its longstanding success on the international front.
Kenya Tong Il Moo Do president Clarence Mwakio says Team Jasiri have brought worldwide pride and glory to the country and should be rewarded as such.
He hopes that, even as President William Ruto continues to breathe new life into Kenyan sports, the team will be one of the biggest beneficiaries.
“I hope team Jasiri will be rewarded handsomely for their victory. We are hopeful of meeting the President one of these days. Once we meet the President (Ruto), all the problems affecting us will be over. We know he is passionate about sports, as we have already seen with the countrywide development of sports infrastructure,” Mwakio said.
Kenya is a powerhouse in the sport, which combines the different elements of combat games into one, including judo, taekwondo, karate, boxing, and mixed martial arts.
At the 2019 World Championships, they topped the medal table ahead of 21 other countries, having secured five medals (two gold and three bronze) on the final day of competition.
They are currently ranked second in the world, behind the Philippines and South Korea.
However, their path to glory has not always been smooth sailing but rather bumpy due to lack of proper funding.
This has led to certain unfortunate and embarrassing situations for the team, including last year’s cancellation of the Mombasa Open Tong Il Moo Do Championships in Mombasa.
The situation led to Kenya’s temporary ban from the world scene before its reinstatement this year.
Notwithstanding, Mwakio believes Tong Il Moo Do is a potential game changer for the livelihoods of thousands of Kenyan youth who have become responsible citizens by virtue of their involvement in the sport.
“We can revolutionize sports through Tong Il Moo Do. We have a very clear structure for the recruitment of players into the team. We give equal opportunity for everyone to get on the team. We have incorporated senior members of Team Jasiri into administrative positions as well as in the organisation of the Mombasa Open,” Mwakio said.
The president was speaking at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa during the 12th edition of the Mombasa Open International Championships.
The two-day tournament brought together a number of countries, including the Philippines, India, Thailand, Zambia, Nigeria, South Korea, Japan, and Vanuatu, as well as the hosts.
In some of the select results, Zambia’s Mustapha Ngwenye grabbed gold in the men’s over 25 sparring division after defeating Kenya’s Evans Wambua in the final.
The Kenyan pair of Shukurani Charo and Raphael Ringa had to share bronze.
In the women’s division, Ruvy Lyn Alcosero of the Philippines took top honor, making light work of Nigeria’s Yusrallah Abdulraheem in the final.
The bronze medal went to the Philippines pair of Elrose Tumanda and Jennifer Bertulfo.
Meanwhile, India’s Erica de Sequeira won the junior females’ sparring category, outclassing home girl Shelyne Musanga in the final.
Debra Osena and Gabriel Kanaga of Kenya shared the bronze medal.
