AES Games: Niger Triumphs in Taekwondo, Surpassing Burkina Faso

Niamey: Niger's Mena emerged as the top performers in the taekwondo competition at the AES Games on Tuesday, securing a total of five medals, including three golds, one silver, and one bronze, outshining Burkina Faso, which also garnered five medals but with two golds and three bronzes.According to Burkina Information Agency, the taekwondo tournament of the inaugural Sahel States Alliance Games was held at the Salamatou Maïga Sports Palace. The event, exclusively for juniors, featured 15 fighters competing across five categories: -55kg and -63kg for boys, and -44kg, -49kg, and -55kg for girls.Niger dominated the tournament, taking home three gold medals, one silver, and one bronze. Burkina Faso secured the second position with two golds and three bronzes, while Mali completed the podium with four silvers and one bronze.Niger's gold medals were achieved by Samira Soumana in the -44kg category, defeating Mali's Mariam Diallo; Housseina Zada ?? in the -55kg category, overcoming Mali's Mariam Dembélé; and A bdoul Aziz Issifi in the -55kg division, defeating Mali's Aboubacar Cissé. Mariam Doumbia, who bested Saran Koné of Mali in the -55kg category, and Sibiri Moumouni Sanou in the -63kg category, claimed Burkina Faso's gold medals.Despite reaching four finals, Malian athletes were unable to secure a victory, ultimately settling for second-place finishes.