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Gabonese judo shined on Sunday (August 18th) in Morocco with two gold and one bronze medals. Karene Agono, Sarah Mazouz and Luc Manogho are the three heroes of the day. A story of an afternoon like no other for Gabonese judo.
From our special envoy in Rabat,
By beating the Tunisian Nihal Landolsi, Karene Agono (less than 70 kg) opened the Gabonese ball this sunny Sunday in Rabat at the 2019 African Games . And for a long time, Gabonese judo had not been at such a party. We must go back to 2001 to the Games of La Francophonie in Canada to find the track of good results for Gabonese judo. For the first time, Gabon gets two gold medals. Because just after Karene Agono, it was the turn of Sarah Mazouz, 32, to get the gold (over 78 kg). Gabon, which does not have the largest delegation in Morocco, has largely highlighted.
And now, the Worlds in Tokyo
At the foot of the podium, three months ago at the last African Championships, Karene Agono was breathless just after her fight during which she won the title of African Champion. A nice revenge for the one who trains in France on the side of Rouen. In Maputo in 2011 and in Brazzaville in 2015, Karene Agono also finished at the podium at the African Games.
" I told myself when I arrived in Morocco : " I hope it will not be the same thing ". Karene Agono hopes to be " on the right track " for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. The next goal for the one who started judo by chance at age 14 (by picking up her little sister at school, she was arrested by the Judo Teacher) will be the Tokyo Worlds (from August 25th to September 1st). If she had chosen athletics as a child, today, she loves to make others fall .
" We can be proud despite the difficulties. It's a golden afternoon for Gabon, "said coach Christian Mboro Mboro. The technician does not hide that he prepared the event without real means. " With more money, we can still do better. With a third of the football budget, we would be even more visible. We need our athletes to go abroad to be competitive, "he says. Olympic scholarships still allow some to go to train abroad.
Sarah Mazouz : " I hope that we will support me "
Sarah Mazouz, the only Gabonese judoka present at the last Rio Olympics in 2016, continued the dream afternoon of Gabonese judo. She absolutely wanted to not miss the opportunity to get gold in Morocco, even with ankle. Whoever will be at the next world championships in Tokyo in a few days says: " I learned with my mistakes. I managed my finale. I always said that for Africa, the African Games had more values than the Olympics. Gabonese must be proud of us. The one coming back from a maternity wanted to show that we could still count on her. " I hope that we will support me ," she says.
To finish the day, Luc Manogho won the bronze medal by defeating Mauritian Hansley Jeffrey Patrice Adonis. Happy as a pope, Luc Manogho caught up after his ball in the semifinals. He presented himself with his accreditation around his neck and was sanctioned by the referee being declared a loser. " I went back up the slope. I was so focused that I did not realize I had my accreditation with me . " A good end of the day for the one who trains on the side of Libreville.