MMA: DR Congo's Leopards seek national recognition

DR Congo's MMA Leopards performed very well at the 2025 African Nations Championships for Juniors and Seniors, held in Luanda, Angola. The Congolese team won 10 medals, including 6 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze, setting a new record for medals won in a single edition.

Of the 6 gold medals, 2 were won in the Juniors by Tardelly Mubengayi and Josué Wawina (70 kg). The other 4 were claimed in the Seniors by Jérémie Likobele (70 kg), Ken Saleh (74 kg), Japhet Lupungu (79 kg) and Magloire Mutabi (83 kg), respectively.

The two silver medals went to Abel Masangu in the Juniors (65 kg) and Samuel Maba in the Seniors (61 kg), while Jonathan Kalumba (57 kg) and Audry Diwete (79 kg) won the two bronze medals, both in the Seniors. DR Congo finished second in the overall standings behind hosts Angola, who won 49 medals, 20 of them gold.

Competing on home soil, the Angolans fielded a very large number of athletes, while the Congolese had travelled with only 14. It was a source of pride for national team coach Claude Kapay. "We are very happy with our athletes' performances. We won 10 medals, including 6 gold, something that had never been achieved by DR Congo. I am proud of my athletes. They showed great technique and we won 5 finals against Angolans. It was not easy," he said.

A glaring lack of resources

The MMA Leopards travelled to Angola in very difficult conditions, having received no financial support whatsoever from the Congolese government. The delegation was split into two groups, one leaving from Kinshasa and the other from Lubumbashi.

Both groups travelled to Luanda by road, which explains the fatigue of the first 4 athletes to compete, who were eliminated in their opening bouts a day after arriving in the Angolan capital. "It was not easy. Those who came from greater Katanga travelled via Dilolo, in the rain, it was not easy at all and the journey took them 4 days. We, from Kinshasa, took the Lufu road. And the fatigue built up by the athletes meant the 4 who were due to fight first were all eliminated, and we managed to regroup with the others, who were able to bring back medals," said Claude Kapay.

Seeking national recognition

Because of a lack of funds, the Congolese MMA delegation had to wait for help from some benefactors to get back to DR Congo. The national team coach said this on the radio station Top Congo FM.

Claude Kapay is calling for the country to recognise MMA athletes and for the federation to receive state funding too. "DR Congo is full of talent in every sport, but the bitter reality is that only a few disciplines receive state funding, and not us. In 2022 we won 7 medals and were not received by the minister; in 2024 we finished 3rd in Namibia and were not received by the minister. And we told ourselves that these 2025 African Championships would be the moment for the country to honour us too. That is why the athletes made sacrifices and gave everything to win all these medals. It is now or never. If the minister can receive us, and why not the President of the Republic, that would be really great. To get back to Kinshasa, we had to wait for help from people of goodwill because we had no money," he warned.