World Stage at the Wuxi World Championships
Nearly a thousand fighters from 145 nations gathered in Wuxi from October 24th to 30th for the 26th World Taekwondo Championships, a tournament considered the sport’s demanding audition before Paris 2024. Among them stood two determined competitors wearing the red, yellow, and green of Congo.
Their mission, however modest on paper, was crucial: to remind the international circuit that the dojangs of Brazzaville produce athletes ready to trade blows with Asian powerhouses and seasoned European teams. Every strike landed in Wuxi carried the weight of local clubs, families, and a growing national fan base.
Profiles of Congo’s Hopefuls
Walikemot Neem, 22, a lanky -63kg stylist from Pointe-Noire, blends footwork with a penchant for kicks learned under Master Mananga Olivier. By his side was Bouassa Jonathan, 19, a native of Brazzaville, a -58kg fighter known for bursts of counter-attacks that catch taller opponents off guard.
Both men earned their tickets after dominating the 2023 national selections in Ouesso, which gathered 180 fighters from 10 departments. A fundraising drive from local businesses covered the flights, while the Ministry of Sports provided the athletic gear and a modest daily allowance.
World-Class Technical Support
The seasoned tactician Bazebizonza Floris, who completed World Taekwondo’s International Coach Course in Seoul in 2021, led the corner instructions. He worked in tandem with national assistant coach Mananga, focusing on video analysis of likely first-round opponents from Cuba and Spain during late-night sessions at the team hotel.
The goal was experience, not yet medals. Team manager Me Rihan Adel echoed this stance, adding that each round completed would translate to additional ranking points on the Olympic standings.
Hard-Fought Bouts and a Grand Slam Ticket
The draw was merciless. Neem opened against reigning Asian champion Mohsen Rezaei of Iran and was eliminated 8-17 in the round of 32 after a third-round rally narrowed the initial gap. Shortly after, Bouassa fell 10-16 to Spain’s Adrián Vicente, himself ranked in the world’s top fifteen.
Despite the eliminations, the Wuxi crowd applauded the Congolese for their offensive and aggressive fencing, a quality sometimes absent in newcomers. World Taekwondo’s Development Director, Jeongkang Seo, later praised the duo’s fighting spirit, stating their presence proved Africa’s depth is greater than the continent’s medal table suggests.
Their tenacity earned an unexpected reward: an invitation to the December Grand Slam Challenge, an eight-day showcase held on the same Wuxi mats and broadcast across the Asia-Pacific region. The coaches immediately accepted, seeing it as another rare opportunity to face the Korean professional stable and the state-funded Chinese team without paying entry fees.
Financial Matters: State and Sponsors Step In
The Ministry of Sports views martial arts as low-cost sports offering quick continental victories. An official budget note allocates 120 million CFA francs to combat sports in 2024, a ten percent increase, with a dedicated line for equipment import exemptions.
Telecommunications operator Airtel Congo, meanwhile, renewed a 30 million CFA franc sponsorship that will place its logo on athletes’ doboks at next year’s African Games in Accra.
The Road to Paris Fuels Grassroots Dreams
Neem and Bouassa will now regroup at the Kintélé Sports Center, where a short training camp with Moroccan coach Abdelaziz Si-Ali will precede the Grand Slam. Success in Wuxi could improve their World Taekwondo ranking enough to secure a continental quota for Paris 2024.
For the federation, a single Olympic qualification would echo the nation’s historic participation with Rosa Keleku at Rio 2016, inspiring thousands of participants in school programs. It changes the psychology. Children suddenly start to believe they can put on a dobok and travel farther than their neighborhood.
Stakeholders, however, warn against losing this momentum without systematic follow-up. Coach Floris cites the Senegalese model, where weekly inter-club championships keep athletes sharp between major events. He hopes Congo’s gyms can replicate that rhythm so Wuxi becomes a stepping stone.
For now, the two young strikers cherish the simple privilege of carrying the flag. Walking into the arena with “Congo” on their backs still sends shivers. The next fight, they insist, will be even louder.