ALL AFRICAN GAMES, MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE 2011

Today saw the start of the Judo at the All African Games.  The first day is reserved for the heavy weights of African, men +100kg, -100kg and -90kg and woman +78kg, -78kg and -70kg. If it was exciting judo that these games were looking for we surely received it.  National pride was around as the judokas knew that all eyes from their countries were on them.

In the woman’s fight there were no surprises, in the -70kg, HoudaMiled, from Tunisia and Antonia Moreira from Angola battled one another as they had done earlier in Dakar at the Continental Championships.   Moreira desperate for a win against Miled took on the fight but in the end just could not beat the current African Champion.

The biggest upsets of the day came from the men heavy weights, current African Champions from Egypt Ramadan Darwish -100kg and Islam El Shehaby +100kg, both came to the games to defend their titles.

Darwish, underestimated his Cameroonianpartner EwaneMoussima, who is currently not ranked in the top 10 in Africa.  Moussima won by ippon within the first 2 minutes of the contest.  El Shehaby who has just been defeated at the World Championships in Paris, came to Mozambique to prove that he was still no.1 in Africa, well today that would not be the case, into Golden score;FaicalJaballah of Tunisia defeated the current African Champion.

Tunisia took home the most gold medals today a count of four.  With this standard of judo being observed in the heavy weights we are sure to see some great fights in the upcoming days in the lighter weights.

Final Results