Thursday, October 1, 2026
Wrestling has taken Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez from the Long Beach High School mats to New York state titles. Now the 18-year-old earned a meeting with President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after winning two gold medals at the African Championships.
Sibomana-Rodriguez, who holds dual citizenship, was born in the Congo and came to the United States at age 8 after surviving a chimpanzee attack which took the lives of his brother and cousin. Through persistence and skill, he would cement his legacy as a Long Beach wrestling great after building a 203-17 high school record, capturing a total of five Nassau County titles and three New York State championships.
On May 2, he entered his first international competition, flying across the globe for the African Championships in Alexandria, Egypt. The experienced wrestler won a gold medal in the 57 kg U20 division — athletes less than 20 years old — making him the first Congolese athlete to win gold in the competition’s history.
The Long Beach phenom continued putting in work, stepping up to compete in the 57 kg Senior division — a category without age guidelines. There, he overcame a pair of even more experienced wrestlers, facing off against adult competitors for the first time in his competitive career.
On his way to the title, Sibomana-Rodriguez earned a decisive victory over 32-year-old Roland Tambi Nforsong, a three-time African Championship medalist. In a previous match, Sibomana-Rodriguez also defeated 33-year-old Alaa Ali Sheba Elsayed who had earned a spot into the quarterfinals by defeating the three-time reigning African Championship gold medalist.
“I’m not surprised at how relaxed he was,” said Miguel Rodriguez, Sibomana-Rodriguez’s adoptive father and Long Beach wrestling assistant coach. “I’m not surprised that he was very comfortable on a big stage and confident in his skills. I was more surprised that I was calm and relaxed seeing my baby boy wrestling on that big stage, but he transmits that confidence. He makes me feel comfortable.”
Sibomana-Rodriguez will begin studying at the University of North Carolina in mid-June, but is maintaining a steady competitive schedule. The immediate plan is to continue a series of international matches: The U20 World Wrestling Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia in August; the U23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada in October; and the African Championships in April 2027, which serves as a qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, scheduled for July.
