In this episode of Combat Sports in Africa, we delve into the exciting world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) at the 13th African Games, which took place in Accra, Ghana, from March 8th to March 23rd. This year's games were not just about traditional combat sports like Wrestling, Boxing, Judo, Taekwondo, and Karate; MMA made a significant appearance as …

In this riveting episode of the "Combat Sports in Africa" podcast, we connect with the formidable Veja Hinda, the pride of Team Namibia, fresh from his recent silver medal victory at the IMMAF Africa Championships in Luanda, Angola. Join us as Hinda unravels his journey in the championship, offering personal insights into the preparations, the unde…

In this latest episode, we ventured into the heart of São Tomé and Príncipe, a picturesque island nation nestled in the Gulf of Guinea, to explore the emerging judo scene under the guidance and leadership of André Rosa, the fervent president of the São Tomé and Príncipe Judo Federation. Rosa, whose own journey with judo is woven into his childhood,…

In this quick update from the "Combat Sports in Africa" podcast, we bring you exhilarating highlights from the Paris 2023 World Taekwondo Grand Prix. Dive deeper into the heart-stopping confrontations, like the fierce clash between Cisse and Cunningham, that had everyone on the edge of their seats. Stay connected and passionate about African combat…

In this quick update from the "Combat Sports in Africa" podcast, we journey through the dynamic sphere of African judo, revisiting significant milestones and recent events. From celebrating the 60-year legacy of the African Judo Union to the remarkable victories at the 2023 African Judo Championships in Casablanca, we cover it all. Stay tuned to ou…

In this special episode, we sit down with Oon Yeoh, the Judo journalist behind JudoCrazy and coach at KL Judo Dojo, to explore the art of the throw. We dive into his article, "How do you develop a throw?", comprising 1,998 words of keen insights, and discuss why he felt compelled to write it. From the evolution of classical techniques to the import…

Tune in for an overview of the Dakar 2023 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Challenge, a stepping stone to Paris 2023. This short episode draws on reference material from World Taekwondo. For comprehensive results, click here. To watch the entire tournament, find it here. Follow Combat Sports in Africa on facebook and Instagram…

Catch a quick glance at the AFBC Men's and Women's African Boxing Championships 2023! From medal counts to the excitement of the finals, this episode offers a bite-sized overview of Africa's top boxing event in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Want to dive deeper? Check out the links below! For More Details and to Rewatch the Matches: AFBC Men's and Women's Afri…

Join us in our latest episode where we discuss amateur mixed martial arts (MMA) in Nigeria with none other than Amb Henry George, President of the Nigerian MMA Federation. We talk about the sport's growth, grassroots involvement, and the Federation's strategies for talent identification and athlete development. We also touch upon the Federation's p…

Dive into the world of boxing in this powerful episode! We recap the Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, where Morocco's Khadija El Mardi packed a punch, clinching Africa's first gold. We also take you to the Men's World Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for an electrifying rundown of Africa's participation. Gloves on, and …

Unmasking the Sand Titans: In this episode, we dive into the power-packed world of Beach Wrestling at the 2nd 2023 African Beach Games. From Senegal's dominant performance to Blessing Oborududu's sand debut, we're covering it all. Don't miss out on this ringside seat to African combat sports! For more detailed information, check out our reference m…

Unlocking the Arena: Join us as we delve into the thrilling action of the World Taekwondo Championships 2023 in Baku! Hear the inspiring comeback tale of Ivorian legend Cheick Sallah Cissé, who claims his first World Taekwondo Championships title seven years on from Olympic gold. For a closer look at the competition, check out our references: "Côte…

Judo Unleashed: Journey with us into the electrifying arena of the Baku 2023 World Judo Championships. From Younes Saddiki's compelling performance to Soumiya Iraoui's stunning passes, and Dris's incredible feat of defeating the reigning Mongolian World Champion Tsend Ochir, we've got it all covered! Tap in for the exhilarating details on how Moroc…

Veja Hinda from Namibia shares his thoughts on the 2022 IMMAF World Championships in Serbia in an interview after his impressive debut at the global competition. He was proud to represent Team Namibia, along with his teammates and coach, on the global stage in the largest IMMAF World championship ever! Hinda demonstrated his fighting spirit and ski…

Morocco hailed after thrilling IBA World Boxing Tour Golden Belt Series event concludes in Marrakesh February 13th, 2023 / World Boxing Tour International Boxing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev has praised Morocco’s boxing family after the World Boxing Tour Golden Belt Series event in Marrakesh drew to a close on Friday. Africa’s inaugural…

It’s almost 2023! With the New Year quickly approaching, we follow up with Zimbabwe’s Lewis Mataya, the 2022 IMMAF African Lightweight champion! We talk about 2022 and his combat sports journey post IMMAF's Africa Championship 2022. In this frank interview Mataya speaks about the tumultuously challenging year he’s had personally and professionally.…

The President of Mixed Martial Art Federation Mauritius, Avinash Ramtohul joins us to discuss the popularity of amateur mixed martial arts on the island of Mauritius. We also discuss the history of how the sport was developed, as well as the challenges and opportunities to its development. President Avinash Ramtohul also shares his opinions on the …

IMMAF’s Director of Development, Dr. Andrew Moshanov joins us to discuss: the development of amateur mixed martial arts , the 2022 Youth Worlds Championships, coaching younger athletes, IMMAF’s grading system, the challenges and opportunities for the development of the sport worldwide and the importance of coaching and coaches role in developing an…

Film maker, stuntman and actor Eric Mazimpaka is working on a documentary project that will look at the history and future of Kung Fu in Tanzania and east Africa, titled “AFRICA: A Kung Fu Story!”. He believes that “that one can find FREEDOM THROUGH CINEMA.” Kung Fu and film making! Eric tells us about “Shaolin Tanzania”, Master Mfaume and the comm…

South African judoka Geronay Whitebooi won the African Championships title in 2019 in Cape Town. She captured a silver medal at the African Games in Rabat in 2019. She claimed a bronze medal at the African Open in Dakar in 2019. She secured a silver medal at the European Cup in Dubrovnik in 2022. In this interview Geronay talks about the Tokyo 2020…

Dr Tsegaye Degineh is the founder of the Judo & Ju-Jitsu Associations and Clubs in Ethiopia and is also the Vice President of the Ju-Jitsu African Union (JJAFU) and a member of the Ju-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF) Ethics commission. Dr Degineh answers the following questions: What did you think of the Ethiopian team’s performance at the 202…

In this episode, I speak with the 2022 IMMAF African Lightweight Champion, Zimbabwe’s Lewis Mataya about his dominant Gold medal performance at the 2022 IMMAF Africa Championship! Mataya also share his approach to training, competing, along with his journey into the sport of amateur mixed martial arts. Lewis Mataya’s Hardfought Journey to Africa Ch…

Colin Stewart updates us on the Ethiopian Jiujitsu team’s recent competition at the 2022 edition of the AFRICAN JU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP, which was held on March 23rd to the 26th at the Kilamba Arena, in Luanda, Angola. Ethiopia sent two athletes, Yared Negusse and “Mita” Negash Tsehaye Alemayehu, both grapplers are versed in Judo, Jujitsu, Brazilian …

In this episode, I speak with Malawian Judoka Harriet Bonface about her journey into the sport of Judo, the state of Judo in Malawi, her hopes to inspire Malawian women to practice Judo and her role as a member of the IJF Athletes' Commission. Harriet also shares her experience as the first ever Malawian Judoka to ever compete at the Olympics. For …

In this episode, I speak with MMA Zambia President Benjamin Bush about: Team Zambia’s overall performance at the 2022 IMMAF Africa Championships, The level of mixed martial arts (MMA) talent across Africa, MMA Zambia being recognized as the Best National Federation for 2021, MMA Sports development, Youth Development initiative in Zambia, President …

The 2022 International Mixed Martial Arts Federation’s (IMMAF) Africa Championship were held in Johannesburg, South Africa on April 28 to 30th. This was the first time in 3 years since IMMAF held an event on African soil! In this episode of the Combat Sports in Africa podcast, I speak with IMMAF President Kerrith Brown about the Africa Championship…

In this episode we go to Zimbabwe to speak with Natsiraishe Maritsa, she’s an 18 year old Taekwondo trainer doing incredible work for young girls in her community and country. She’s using the sport of Taekwondo to engage, empower and educate her community to fight against child marriage in Zimbabwe. Her project combines taekwondo lessons with discu…

The 2022 edition of the AFRICAN JU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP will be held on March 23rd to the 26th at the Kilamba Arena, in Luanda, ANGOLA! In this episode of the Combat Sports in Africa podcast, I’ll be speaking to Colin Stewart about Brazilian Jiujitsu in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Also, please make sure to check out the following GoFundMe campaign to Supp…

Mbagnick Ndiaye Medalist in Portugal "It is with great joy that we followed the magnificent journey of Mbagnick Ndiaye (SEN) in the +100kg on the last day of the Portugal 2022 Grand Prix, organized by the International Judo Federation. Perfectly focused from the start to the end of the competition, the Senegalese only lost to the Hungarian Richard …

Mr. Johannes Daxbacher is an active member of the IJF Military and Police commission. He's a police commissioner in the Bavarian Police (in Germany) and a Judoka who has been actively involved in the development of Judo in Ethiopia. Questions Please give us a summary of your Judo career (from competitor to coach) and overall involvement in the spor…

Dr Tsegaye Degineh is the founder of the Judo & Ju-Jitsu Associations and Clubs in Ethiopia and is also the Vice President of the Ju-Jitsu African Union (JJAFU) and a member of the Ju-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF) Ethics commission. Dr Degineh answers the following questions regarding the development of Jiujitsu in Ethiopia: What is the cur…

Meet Mike Hammer, the U.S. Ambassador to Chile. Ambassador Hammer is a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service and entered the diplomatic corps in 1988. He has served abroad in Bolivia, Norway, Iceland and Denmark. Ambassador Hammer has received several awards, including the Department’s Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Public Dipl…

Meet Liliana Ayalde, the U.S. Ambassador to Brazil. Ambassador Ayalde first joined the Foreign Service in 1982 and started her international career in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She is a member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Career Minister having been posted in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Colombia, and Washington, D.C. with USAID: goo.g…

Meet Cynthia Akuetteh, the U.S. Ambassador to Gabon and the Democratic of Sao Tome and Principe. Ambassador Akuetteh previously served as Director of the Office of Central African Affairs, where she oversaw bilateral relations with ten countries, mostly unstable or in conflict. Before taking up the directorship of Central Africa, she was Deputy Chi…

Daniel W. Yohannes is the United States Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). A former banker from Englewood, Colorado, Mr. Yohannes has more than 30 years of experience in banking and economic development. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Yohannes served for more than four years as the Chief Executive Officer…

Meet Ted Osius, the current U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam. Early in his career, Mr. Osius helped open the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and was one of the first U.S. diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi. For more information on Ambassador Ted Osius, visit: goo.gl/yq0b15.

Meet Dana S. Smith the 4th woman in U.S. history to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Qatar. More information on Dana S. Smith: goo.gl/E6xQuN.

Meet Geoffrey Pyatt, the eighth United States Ambassador to serve in Ukraine. More information on Geoffrey Pyatt: goo.gl/A0vByM.

Meet Richard Verma, the first Indian American to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to India. Ambassador Verma oversees one of the largest U.S. Missions in the world, including four consulates across India.

Who was the first U.S. ambassador? What does it mean to have diplomatic relations with a country and why is it important? These questions and more are answered in our interview with Dr. Stephen Randolph the Historian of the U.S. Department of State.

Who are diplomats and what do they do? These are some of the questions we will answer in "Meet the Ambassador" a new podcast series that will introducing the American public to the Department of State employees working on behalf of the U.S. Government in various countries. “Meet the Ambassadors” will feature a series of one-on-one conversations wit…