On the sand of Lomé Beach, Anthony Yao Sodjinê warms up for a match. The sport he's preparing for - sambo - began in the USSR and takes its name from a Russian expression meaning "unarmed self-defense."

Now, a new partnership between Togo and Russia is giving the discipline a foothold in West Africa.

Anthony came to sambo from judo, and the transition was deliberate. "I decided to take up competitive sambo to test myself, to see how it would turn out in life," he says.

In three years, he has already competed in four African tournaments. His personal journey now sits inside a broader partnership between Togo and Russia, with sports as the channel.

For Anthony, the stakes go beyond competition.

The initiative, he says, "could enable us to receive scholarships to travel to Russia to participate in training programs for athletes, coaches, and all practitioners of this discipline."

Matches since June 2024

The Togolese Sambo Federation has been organizing demonstrations in Lomé since June 2024. The Africa Initiative Cup is in its first edition.

The groundwork was laid earlier: in April 2023, the Russian and Togolese sports ministers signed a memorandum of cooperation covering school and mass sports, infrastructure, and training.

"Our mission here is to develop this type of sport in Togo, as part of cultural and sports exchanges, as well as training exchanges," says Andrey Belogonov, representative of Africa Initiative and organizer of the Africa Initiative Cup.

"Today, our federations may be invited by the Russian Federation to participate in sports initiatives and international competitions," says Gneny Tchagbele, representative of Togo's Ministry of Youth and Sports.

"Togo will participate," he adds.

Despite the progress, sambo remains relatively unknown in Togo compared with sports like football.

But the nascent partnership between Lomé and Moscow could earn it the visibility it needs.