This archive report was first published on 5 December 2019.
On the eve of the Mombasa Open Tong-Il Moo-Doo International Martial Arts Championship, teams from Thailand and the Democratic Republic of Congo have arrived in Mombasa, Kenya. The tournament is set to take place at the Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa, on Saturday and Sunday.
Team captain Jasiri Elvis Malipe expressed confidence in his team's ability to defend the overall title. 'We have a national duty to perform. We can't allow to be beaten at home as we must prove to the world that we are the best,' he said.
Malipe noted that the team's participation at the World Martial Arts Mastership at Chungju in South Korea in July was an added advantage. He also mentioned that the teams' strong challengers, Philippines and Iran, would be handled differently this time round.
According to Kenya Tong Il Moo Do Federation President Clarence Mwakio, teams from Korea, Philippines, Iran, Thailand, Japan, Nepal, Taiwan, and the US are expected to participate in the tournament. Other participating countries include Congo, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Cote de' Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Senegal.
The World Tong-Il Moo-Do Federation vice-chairman, Takamitsu Hoshiko, had arrived in Mombasa last weekend to conduct clinics ahead of the tournament. Hoshiko emphasized that such tournaments aim to build up the spirit of unity beyond nations, races, religions, and cultures.
