Mombasa County will be hosting at least 578 athletes for the 12th edition of the Mombasa Open Tong-Il Moo-Do International Martial Arts Championships slated to kick off in less than a fortnight.
328 of the participants are foreign nationals from 35 countries while Kenya will be represented by 250 athletes with national team Jasiri having 120 players.
Despite the cancellation of the event in August due to financial constraints, the event slated for the 11th to 24th of December is expected to have the highest number of participants since inception.
Kenya Tong-Il Moo-Do Federation Chair Master Clarence Mwakio says the high number of participants shows how credible the championship is by the World Tong-Il Moo-Do Federation body.
“Kenya is a Tong-Il Moo-Do powerhouse and hosting such a world-class event elevates the country’s status,” said Master Clarence Mwakio.
He appealed to President William Ruto and Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to intervene in sponsoring the event and facilitate the national team Jasiri with the hosting budget saying that it was among the few international events hosted in the country.
“For the last four months, team Jasiri has continued with training in readiness for the event that they have won for the last 11 years of the tournament,” said Mwakio.
Countries Participating in the 12th Edition of the Mombasa Open Tong-Il Moo-Do Championships
Kenya – 250
Democratic Republic of Congo – 54
The Philippines – 43
Thailand – 28
Republic of the Congo – 23
Nigeria – 22
Zambia – 20
Islamic Republic of Iran- 18
Nepal – 16
Paraguay – 14
South Korea – 13
Japan – 11
Ivory Coast – 9
Brazil – 8
Angola – 6
Burkina Faso – 6
India – 6
USA – 5
Sao Tome and Principe – 3
Argentina – 3
Benin – 3
Mexico – 2
Ethiopia – 2
Turkey – 1
Germany – 1
Uganda – 1
Cambodia – 1
Peru – 1
Vanuatu – 1
Lithuania – 1
Burundi – 1
Denmark – 1
Canada – 1
Chad – 1
