Africa-Press – Gambia. Waza United Karate Club, over the weekend, officially opened the 2025 Subregional Open Karate Championship, bringing together athletes from Senegal and across The Gambia for two days of high-level competition, skill demonstration, and youth sporting excellence.
Waza United Karate Club, formerly known as Wellingara Karate Club, is hosting this year’s event as part of its long-standing commitment to developing martial arts and empowering young people across the subregion.
Since its establishment in 2004, the club has grown into one of the most recognized karate institutions in the country, producing dozens of highly trained karatekas, including several Senseis who continue to contribute to the sport locally and abroad.
The Club operates two centers: the main dojo located at Old Yundum Senior Secondary School along the Coastal Road, and a second center in Wellingara behind the police station.
Under the leadership of Club President Sensei Fansu Fatty, a dedicated black belt, and Technical Director Sensei Pateh Jobe, an advocate for karate development in The Gambia and Africa, Waza United continues to expand its reach and impact.
The establishment of Waza United was inspired by the late Sensei Muhammed Kaba Musa, widely regarded as the father of karate in The Gambia. His lifelong dedication to martial arts shaped generations of disciplined practitioners, including the club’s founders, Sensei Abdoulie Touray, Sensei Modou Sallah, and Sensei Ebrima Jallow.
The club began with a first cohort of just twenty students. Of that pioneering group, Sensei Pateh Jobe and David Mendy continue to serve the club, working alongside committed second-generation practitioners such as Sensei Abdoulie Secka and many others. Former members from the early years are now spread across the world, contributing in diverse professional fields while carrying the discipline and values instilled through karate.
The founding masters remain active within The Gambia and Senegal, continuing to mentor and influence karate development across the subregion.
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