Team Angola lived up to its reputation as a dominant force within global mixed martial arts by topping the charts on day one of the IMMAF Africa Championships yesterday in the capital city of Luanda.
With a proud fighting history, the host nation regularly enters by far the biggest team into the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation’s flagship tournament on the continent. However, nothing can be taken away from the skill and heart showcased on the day as Team Angola secured 21 medals (10 gold, 10 silver, and one bronze) in the Youth B & C section.
Down at the Pavilhão Multiusos do Kilamba, some familiar faces shone once again for the Republic including Gisela Luna and Claudio Fontoura who claimed their second IMMAF Africa Gold medals after shining in Windhoek, Namibia, last year.
In the tournament’s opening bout, 13-year-old Luna, who faced fellow Angolan Monica Cardoso, showcased dominant grappling throughout, controlling the pace and leaving Cardoso with limited opportunities.
Mauritius Secures Historic First Gold at IMMAF Championships; South Africa Aims for More Medals
Fontour, who dominated in Windhoek last year and secured a podium position at the IMMAF World Championships late last year, too, lived up to his growing reputation as a swift armbar submission specialist before bagging gold in the Youth B 57kg division.
It was a memorable day for Mauritian MMA as the nation secured its first gold.
Mauritius’ Aveer Jootun, competing in the Youth B (72kg) category took on Angola’s Dinis Dinga Bravo in a closely contested battle. After a back-and-forth affair, Jootun emerged victorious, raising hopes for a breakout tournament for Team Mauritius.
Team South Africa managed to secure one silver medal and will be chasing more bling today in the Youth A Division when SA’s Caitey Karagiannidis restarts her nation’s campaign against Cameroon’s Adjanie Benjamin Zanga at 11 am in the Women’s Strawweight division.
She will then be followed by several South African athletes competing on Day 2. All fixtures and results can be found on the Smooth Comp website and the show can be watched on IMMAF.tv.
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