The DRC will be taking part in the XIII All-Africa Games, which kick off this Friday, March 8, in Accra, Ghana. The Leopards will be competing in 15 disciplines and are hoping to improve on the 12 medals they won at the last edition in Rabat.
As the XIII All-Africa Games kick off this Friday, March 8, in Accra, Ghana, a very large part of the Congolese delegation is still languishing in Kinshasa waiting for funds before boarding the government-chartered plane to the Ghanaian capital. Of the 15 disciplines scheduled to represent the DRC, only 3 are already in Accra: karate, table tennis and badminton. "We have nothing to worry about", says a source close to the Ministry of Sports, who reassures us that "the rest of the delegation will leave Kinshasa this Saturday, and that all the disciplines selected will be well represented".
Doing better than in Rabat
The Leopards travel to Ghana with the mission of doing better than they did in Rabat in 2019. In the Cherifian kingdom, the Congolese won 12 medals, including two golds and 10 bronzes. This mission must be fulfilled despite the smaller number of disciplines selected for this thirteenth edition compared to the previous year.
In Morocco, the DRC was represented by 17 disciplines, whereas in Ghana it will be represented by just 15 disciplines: athletics, cycling, badminton, wrestling, swimming, tennis, basketball, boxing, weightlifting, handball, taekwondo, volleyball, judo, karate and table tennis.
Combat sports, DRC's great hope
Of the twelve medals won at the All-Africa Games in Morocco, 10 were won by combat sports, including 5 by boxing, which took the only two silver medals. For this year's edition, the DRC's hopes will rest more on the combat sports, including boxing, which will field its 26 best athletes, including the 15 medallists from the last African Nations Championships, 5 of whom are reigning African champions: Pita Kabeji, Steve Kulenguluka and Boniface Zengala Boniface for the men, and Marcela Sakobi and Jorbelle Malewu for the women. Wrestling is also one of the DRC's great hopes, with athlete Mbo Isomi, winner of two bronze medals in Morocco and gold medallist at the last Jeux de la Francophonie in Kinsahsa, like his team-mate Mukendi Kabeya. Judo, taekwondo and karate are also keen to bring home medals. Pamphile Mbaka, General Secretary of the Congo Karate Federation, believes in his team's success.
The athletes have had a long time to prepare, and we're confident we'll have something to show for it," he declared.
Handball: one of the great hopes of team sports
As in Rabat, handball should once again bring back at least one medal for the DRC. In the Cherifian kingdom, only the women's team managed to bring home a bronze medal, but in Accra, given the absence of certain countries, there are high hopes that both versions will finish on the podium. On the men's side, only Egypt, who finished in the top 5 at the last AFCON, will be taking part in the 2024 All-Africa Games. The DRC, which finished sixth, is the favorite for the podium. In the women's category, only Angola and Cameroon were in the top 5 at last year's African Cup of Nations, with the DRC, who finished sixth, also among the favourites for the podium. The final assessment will be made on the evening of March 23, at the close of the Games.
