Kenya's Maluki elected Africa Judo Union chairman

Kenya Judo Federation president Shadrack Maluki is the new Africa Judo Union (AJU) chairman.

Maluki polled 39 votes to beat his opponent Deladem Akpaki, the Togo Judo Federation president, who got 11 votes for the post during the AJU Congress in Dakar, Senegal on Tuesday.

Maluki takes over from Madagascar's Thierry Siteny, who now becomes AJU president after he also beat Abakar Djarmah from Chad getting 42 votes against nine.

Outgoing president Habib Sissoko from Mali didn’t seek re-election but will relinquish power after the Tokyo Olympic Games due July 23 to August 8.

The election of Maluki, the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) first vice president, comes 18 days after the election of compatriot Francis Mutuku as the new Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOCA) Zone V secretary general. Mutuku is the acting NOC-K secretary general.

It was a landslide victory for Team Siteny/Maluki as Estony Pridgeon from Botswana retained her position as AJU secretary general after polling 41 votes against the nine of Thobile Magagula from Swaziland.

The Royal Moroccan Judo Federation president Chafik El Kettani was elected the new AJU treasurer after he got 42 votes, edging out Burundi Judo federation president Valery Manirakiza, who polled nine votes.

In his acceptance speech, Siteny vowed that his team will endeavour to work together and leave a legacy that Africa will be proud of. 

"Our greatest victory is for the values of the game which we firmly make a commitment to safeguard," said Siteny.

"Our strength lies in our capacity to keep our unity and solidarity in the development of the game."

Siteny noted that his team is aware of the enormous challenges ahead, but said they will try to unite all the countries in Africa and break all the region blocks that impede development of the game.

Siteny /Maluki's election will see Kenya benefit immensely from the AJU and International Judo Federation (IJF) projects and programs.

It will speed up the process of having an AJU Regional Development Centre and the IJF Grand Slam in Nairobi.

The Grand Slam that will be known as Safari Judo Grand Slam will be held before the end of the year in the Covid-19 cases. KJF will now fast-track the process of acquiring land at Kasarani to facilitate the development of the Centre.

If successful, the Centre will be the second in Africa after the one in Casablanca, Morocco that is currently under construction and due for completion in three months. 

Grand Slam is the third most prestigious judo event in the world of judo hierarchy after the Olympic Games and World Championships.