Plenty of stars, including Paralympic and world champions, will gather in Oran from 21 to 24 May for the 2026 African Open Championships.
Three days of individual events will be followed by team competition on the final day.
The event marks the third regional championships in this year’s four-event series, following the European Open Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, and the Asia-Oceania Open Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, held over the past two months. The Pan American Championships is scheduled to take place later this year.
With the regional championships forming a mandatory part of the LA28 Paralympic qualification pathway, athletes will be aiming to secure valuable ranking points and set new continental benchmarks ahead of other major events in 2026, including the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Great Britain.
The Venue
Having previously hosted the African Open Championships in 2018, Algeria boasts a strong sporting culture, with enthusiastic crowds expected at the Miloud Hadefi Olympic Complex, built for the 2022 Mediterranean Games in the coastal city of Oran.
Known as the ‘Pearl of the Mediterranean,’ Oran is set to offer athletes a unique experience through its rich history, vibrant culture, and passion for sport.
Fifteen African nations are set to compete, alongside five delegations from outside the region: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Kazakhstan. Host nation Algeria tops the entry list with 27 athletes, followed by Egypt (20), Iran (16), and Nigeria (13).
In total, 152 athletes — 92 men and 59 women — from 20 nations will be in action across four days.
Angola, Gambia and Guinea are among the African nations aiming to secure Paralympic qualification for the first time.
The best African athletes are arriving on the Mediterranean coast! 🌊 Check out the numbers for this edition of the African Open Championships 🌍#ParaPowerlifting #Oran2026 pic.twitter.com/Dweewo8bUR
— Para Powerlifting (@Powerlifting) May 18, 2026
Home challenge
The home challenge will be led by two-time Paralympic bronze medallist Hocine Bettir, who will compete in the men’s up to 72kg category — one division above his medal-winning performance at Paris 2024.
Bettir is also a former world champion (Tbilisi 2021) and claimed gold at the last edition of the African Open Championships in Cairo, Egypt in 2022, competing in the men’s up to 65kg.
Algeria’s women’s line-up will feature veteran Nadia Medjmedj (women’s -79kg), a multiple-time Paralympic medallist, alongside Adra Lamia, gold medallist at the 2018 African Open Championships, who will compete in the women’s up to 55kg event.
Attention will also turn to Algeria’s rising stars, including Chems Eddine Boudra (-49kg) and Sedjerari Radhouane (-65kg), both medallists at the Cairo 2025 World Championships, as the nation looks to build on the legacy of three-time Paralympian Samira Guerioua.
Egypt will field some of its biggest stars, led by reigning Paralympic and world champions Mohamed Elmenyawy (men’s up to 59kg) and Rehab Ahmed (women’s up to 61kg). Both athletes were crowned world champions on home soil in emphatic fashion.
Legendary Sherif Osman, world record holder in the men’s up to 54kg and men’s up to 59kg categories, will also be in action as he steps into the new men’s up to 72kg category. Paris 2024 silver medallist Fatma Elyan (-67kg) will also be aiming to impress in Oran.
Nigerian strength
A dominant force in the sport, Nigerian athletes will look to set new standards ahead of the Commonwealth Games, where they topped the medals table at the last edition.
Their roster includes Paralympic champions and world record holders such as Folashade Oluwafemiayo (women’s +86kg), Mark Onyinyechi (-67kg), and Esther Oyema (55kg), among others.
Also expected to challenge strongly are Nworgu Esther (-50kg) and Rita Ferdinard (-79kg), who stunned China’s Paralympic champion Miaoyu Han at the Cairo 2025 World Championships.
From the Asian region, Jordan will feature Paralympic icons Abdelkareem Khattab (men’s -97kg) and Omar Qarada (men’s -49kg), both aiming to once again reign supreme in their respective categories.
Meanwhile, Iran will look to maintain its dominance in the men’s heavyweight divisions through Paralympic champions Aliakbar Gharibshahi (men’s -107kg) and Aminzadeh Ahmad (men’s +107kg).
Live results from the Oran 2026 African Open Championships will be available here.
