Angola off to solid start at champs but SA not far behind
Julian Kiewietz
Team Angola stole the show on the opening day of the 2024 IMMAF Africa Championships after dominating the youth leg of the continental tournament, while Team SA celebrated more than a handful of medallists in Namibia.
Angola rocked up loud and proud as their athletes, supporters and coaching staff cheered each other on with war cries that reverberated throughout the Hybrid Centre in Windhoek.
South Africa’s youngsters flew the country’s flag high, securing 13 medals, including three bronze, six silver and four gold medals, coming up second to Angola’s total of 16.
SA’s Joshua de Beer, Jonny Esterhuizen, Caleb Swart and LK van Coller put on top performances to secure the top spot on the podium with gold in their respective divisions as Umar Edwards, Joshua Allison, Asange Belu, Jovan Theart, Luke de Beer and Ethan Richards came away with the silver.
Umar’s brother Yasin, Reynard Venter and Arno Carstens picked up bronze.
The star of the day, and most certainly an athlete to watch for the future, was Angola’s Cláudio Fontoura. The firecracker fighter competed in four fights and delivered four emphatic stoppages, seeing off all his opponents with chokes or armbars.
The Angolan displayed good transitions, pace and cage awareness as he made the IMMAF octagon his playground.
One of his most vicious finishes came in his Youth B/57kg fight against Team SA’s Cihan Geyer, who was brought to tears due to the pain suffered from a deep armbar and was subsequently forced to withdraw due to the injury.
Today, the Junior and Senior competition kicks off in the capital, where a handful of South African stars will aim to continue tallying up that medal count and go one-up against Angola who seem to be the favourites of the tournaments thus far.
RESULTS
Men
Youth A
Strawweight – Bronze: Adriano Bok (Team Namibia); Silver: Leonildes Cangombe (Team Angola); Gold: Paulo Alfredo (Team Angola)
Bantamweight – Bronze: Junior Jacinto Pinto (Team Angola); Silver: Umar Edwards (Team SA); Gold: Joshua de Beer (Team SA)
Featherweight: Silver: Joshua Allison (Team SA); Gold: Johnny Esterhuizen (Team SA)
Middleweight – Bronze: Reynard Venter (Team South Africa); Silver: Asange Belu (Team South Africa); Gold: Milfa Kuenda Nicolau (Team Angola)
Middleweight – Silver: Gilberto Monteiro (Team Angola); Gold: Marcos Amaro (Team Angola)
Youth B
57kg – Bronze: Yasin Edwards (Team SA) and Shange Kamwi (Team Namibia); Silver: Jessu Juca (Team Angola); Gold: Cláudio Fontoura (Team Angola)
67kg – Silver: Jovan Theart (Team SA); Gold: Caleb Swart (Team SA)
77.1kg – Silver: Luke de Beer (Team SA); Gold: LK Van Coller (Team SA)
48kg – Bronze: Arno Carstens (Team SA); Silver: Ethan Richards (Team SA); Gold: Lucas Mendes (Team Angola)
Women
Youth B
44kg – Silver: Generosa Catila (Team Angola); Gold: Stélvia Muhanha (Team Angola)
62kg – Silver: Joana Abel (Team Angola); Gold: Mayra Lemos (Team Angola)
Youth C
48kg – Silver: Alicia Capita (Team Angola); Gold: Gisela Luna (Team Angola)
Youth A
Featherweight – Gold: Joseth Mavungo (Team Angola)
* Julian Kiewietz is in Windhoek at the 2024 IMMAF Africa Championships courtesy of Intergro.