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Plenty of stars, including Paralympic and world champions, will gather in Oran from 21 to 24 May\u00a0for\u00a0the 2026\u00a0African Open Championships.<\/p>\n
Three days of individual events will be followed by team competition on the final day.<\/p>\n
The event marks the third regional championships in this year\u2019s four-event series, following the European Open Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia,\u00a0and the Asia-Oceania Open Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, held over\u00a0the past two months. The Pan American Championships is\u00a0scheduled to take place later this year.<\/p>\n
With the regional championships forming a mandatory part of the LA28 Paralympic qualification pathway,<\/a> athletes will be aiming to secure valuable\u00a0ranking points and set new continental benchmarks ahead of other major events in 2026, including the forthcoming\u00a0Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Great Britain.<\/p>\n Having previously hosted the African Open Championships in 2018, Algeria\u00a0boasts a strong sporting culture, with enthusiastic crowds\u00a0expected at the Miloud Hadefi Olympic Complex, built for the 2022 Mediterranean Games in the coastal city of Oran.<\/p>\n Known as the ‘Pearl of the Mediterranean,’ Oran is set\u00a0to offer athletes a unique experience through its rich history, vibrant culture, and passion for sport.<\/p>\n 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).\u00a0<\/p>\n In total, 152 athletes \u2014 92 men and 59 women \u2014 from 20 nations will be in action across four days.<\/p>\n Angola, Gambia\u00a0and Guinea are among the African nations aiming to secure Paralympic qualification for the first time.<\/p>\n The best African athletes are arriving on the Mediterranean coast! \ud83c\udf0a Check out the numbers for this edition of the African Open Championships \ud83c\udf0d#ParaPowerlifting<\/a> #Oran2026<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Dweewo8bUR<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Para Powerlifting (@Powerlifting) May 18, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The home challenge will be led by two-time Paralympic bronze medallist Hocine Bettir, who will compete in the men\u2019s up to 72kg category \u2014 one division above his medal-winning performance at Paris 2024.<\/p>\n Bettir is also a former\u00a0world champion (Tbilisi 2021) and claimed gold at the last edition of the African Open Championships\u00a0in Cairo, Egypt in 2022, competing in the men’s up to 65kg.<\/p>\n Algeria\u2019s women\u2019s line-up will feature veteran Nadia Medjmedj (women’s -79kg), a multiple-time\u00a0Paralympic medallist, alongside Adra Lamia, gold medallist at the 2018 African Open Championships, who will compete in the women\u2019s up to 55kg event.<\/p>\n Attention will also turn to\u00a0Algeria\u2019s rising stars, including Chems Eddine Boudra (-49kg) and Sedjerari Radhouane (-65kg), both medallists at the Cairo 2025\u00a0World Championships, as the nation looks to build on the legacy of three-time Paralympian Samira Guerioua.<\/p>\n Egypt will field some of its biggest stars, led by reigning Paralympic and world champions Mohamed Elmenyawy (men\u2019s up to 59kg) and Rehab Ahmed (women\u2019s up to 61kg).\u00a0Both athletes were crowned world champions on home soil in emphatic fashion.<\/p>\n Legendary Sherif Osman, world record holder in the men\u2019s up to 54kg and men\u2019s up to 59kg categories, will also be in action as he steps into\u00a0the new men\u2019s up to 72kg category. Paris 2024 silver medallist Fatma Elyan (-67kg) will also be aiming to impress in Oran.<\/p>\n 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\u00a0the last edition.<\/p>\n Their roster includes Paralympic champions and world record holders such as Folashade Oluwafemiayo (women\u2019s +86kg), Mark Onyinyechi (-67kg), and Esther Oyema (55kg), among others.<\/p>\n Also expected to challenge strongly are Nworgu Esther (-50kg) and Rita Ferdinard (-79kg), who stunned China\u2019s Paralympic champion Miaoyu Han at the Cairo 2025\u00a0World Championships.<\/p>\n From the Asian region, Jordan will feature Paralympic icons Abdelkareem Khattab (men\u2019s -97kg) and Omar Qarada (men\u2019s -49kg), both aiming to once again reign supreme in their respective\u00a0categories.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Iran will look to maintain its dominance in the men\u2019s heavyweight divisions through Paralympic champions Aliakbar Gharibshahi (men\u2019s -107kg) and Aminzadeh Ahmad (men\u2019s +107kg).<\/p>\n Live results from the Oran 2026 African Open Championships will be available\u00a0here<\/a>.The Venue<\/h2>\n
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Home challenge<\/h2>\n
Nigerian strength<\/h2>\n
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