NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 20 – Kenya bagged a bronze medal in the team event at the 2020 Judo Africa Senior Championships that concluded on Saturday in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
The Kenyan team of Diana Kana, George Kimani, Johnson Kirimi, Alice Chebet, John Nderitu and Joseph Mwangi delivered the medal after tying with hosts Madagascar in the two-day competition that doubled up as Tokyo Olympics Qualifier. Algeria won gold while Senegal took Silver.
Kenya had entered a total of 15 Judokas hoping to seal the Tokyo Olympics slot but that fell short after only two made it to the semi-finals.
In the under-100 Kg, Joseph Irungu beat compatriot George Kimani to win Pool B and earn a slot in the semi-finals where he lost to Gabonese Manongho L who took bronze.
The other Kenyan who posted impressive result was Alice Chebet who competed in the women’s over 78 Kg.
Chebet launched her campaign with a defeat to Togolese Noeline Essohanam but the Kenyan made it to the repechage where she was paired with Monica Sagna who won bronze.
In other results, Carlos Atieno was eliminated in the repechage by Alexandre Silva of Cape Verde in the men’s under-60 Kg, John Nderitu fell to Togolese Fredric Adebayo in the under-66 Kg while John Kirimi bowed out in the group stages after falling to homeboy Ricky Raliterasolo of Madagascar in the under-90 Kg.
In the women’s category, Kenyan Hannah Wanjiku was knocked out in the pool stages by Anna Siga of Senegal in the under-63 Kg while Dianah Kine lost to Carine Ngarlemdana of Chad in the repechage.
All the gold medallists qualified for Tokyo Olympics and with none qualified from Kenya, the East Africa country hopes to send judokas for the next Olympic qualifying event in Doha on January 13-14 followed by Poland on February 26-28.
