Kenya retained the Mombasa open Tong-IL- Moo-Do International martial Arts Championship at the Aga Khan Academy by winning 39 medals.
The team headed by National coach Ibrahim Mchumba managed to garner 14 gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze medals.
For the better part of the first and second days of the tournament, the Kenyan team trailed behind Philippines who commanded an earlier lead at the World Tong IL-Moo Do championship.
Philippines close challengers to Kenya won the second position by winning 7 gold medals in total with no silver and no bronze.
Third was the Nigerian team with two gold, three silver and 1 bronze. Cote D‘ivoire were ranked fourth with one gold, one silver and two bronzes.
Zambia emerged fifth with two silver medals while Thailand emerged sixth with one silver and four bronze medals. Ethiopia won a silver in the championship to become seventh. Japan and Tanzania failed to get any medals.
In events performance, the over 18 years Adult males individual forms finals were won by Geovane Gella (Philippines) with a score of 9 points followed Kenyan Elvis Malipe with 8.7 points scooping the silver medal.
In the individual special techniques finals Geovane Gella bagged a second gold medal with 8.850 points followed closely with Nigerian Ogene Ifeanyi with 8.80 points scooping a silver medal. The bronze went to Koume Dioudome of Cote D’Ivoire.
In the Female Adults Individual forms Final over 18 years Arine Busalpa of Philippines continued to show their dominance in the tournament to retain their World prowess in the game by earning a gold medal with 8.8 points beating both Suwannaluck Phakdiwichitkul (Thailand) with 8.4 points and Salma Ali(Kenya) with 7.75 points to reclaim a silver and bronze medal respectively.
In the Teams Forms open category finals Philippines beat Kenya A and B teams to win another gold with9.05 points.
In the Teams special technique finals Kenya A won the gold with 8.85 points and the silver went to Nigeria with 8.45 points while Kenya B scored 8.40 points.
In the male kids individual forms under 18 years Kenya won the gold, silver and bronze through Joseph Clement with 7.75 points, Alamin Ismail with 7.5 points and Simon Timos with 5.65 points.
Female kid’s individual forms under 18 years, Nina Inan and Mwatum Isma both of Kenya won a gold and silver with 7.5points and 6.80points respectively.
The government through the Ministry of Sports and Heritage Chief Administrative Secretary Noor Hassan Noor pledged to support the Kenya Tong –IL Moo -Do Federation with sh5 million in October2018 towards the organization of this year’s event.
Noor said the sports ministry is in consultation with the Education ministry to streamline the sport so that it is integrated into the curriculum at the primary and secondary school level of education.
The grandmaster of the World Tong IL-Moo Do Federation Dr Joon Ho Seuk said he was grateful for the tremendous growth of the sport in Kenya and was looking forward to expand to the rest of Africa.
The World Tong –IL-Moo Do Federation honored the Chief Administrative Secretary Noor Hassan Noor,and Chief Executive Officer Sports Academy Gordon Aluoch with honorary black belts for their contribution towards the sport. The president Uhuru Mugai Kenyatta honorary black belt.
