Kickboxing celebrates historic moment
Kickboxing made history this week when the acting chief administrator of the Namibian Sport Commission (NSC), Peter Wilson, announced that the Namibian Kickboxing Federation (NKF) had been granted approval for international participation and national colours.
The move ensured that six Namibian fighters will compete as members of the first national kickboxing team at an international event.
Sensei Lesley Hoaeb, Dawn Spangenberg, Delano Muller, MJ van der Merwe, Mario Snyman and Michael Smit received their Namibian colours from NKF president Stephanus Schoonbee in Walvis Bay this week. Muller (12) is Namibia's youngest black belt kickboxer and the reigning junior sportsman of the year.
The fighters will represent the country at the Jungle War VIII on 4 March in Johannesburg, South Africa, where team selection will be done for the Battle of Atlanta to be held from 15 to 17 June and the US Open from 30 July to 1 July in the United States.
Schoonbee congratulated the athletes and instructed them to go and make the country proud at the competition.
“Our aim is to send a strong, well-prepared team to the World Championships in South Africa in 2018. NKF plans to present a number of training camps during the school holidays in order to develop kickboxing in Namibia and to open branches in possibly in Oshakati, Rundu and Khorixas.
“We will also conduct coaching clinics and grading sessions twice a year and will provide and promote self-defence training for women with self-defence and kickboxing demonstrations to be held at local schools,” he said.
After the Jungle War event in South Africa, the athletes will return home to prepare for an interclub competition on 15 March in Walvis Bay and the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic on 4 May in Johannesburg.
The Jungle War event consists of a series competition, weapon series competition, points fighting, continuous fighting, full-contact fighting and a fitness challenge to determine the fittest competitor.
The Jungle War VII competition held last year consisted of points and semi-contact fighting, traditional kata, musical forms, national and world title fight in Pretoria.
SA fought Namibia and won the team event. A team was subsequently selected to represent Ring Contact Fighting Arts International (RCFAI) at the Battle of Atlanta. Members of this team secured four first, five second and two third places.
The first RCFAI tournament lasted for two days with more than 1500 fighters competing in 1993. It was the biggest kickboxing tournament ever held in South Africa. The Jungle War consisted of sport karate, semi-contact fighting, musical forms and two RCFAI professional world title fights.
OTIS FINCK
The move ensured that six Namibian fighters will compete as members of the first national kickboxing team at an international event.
Sensei Lesley Hoaeb, Dawn Spangenberg, Delano Muller, MJ van der Merwe, Mario Snyman and Michael Smit received their Namibian colours from NKF president Stephanus Schoonbee in Walvis Bay this week. Muller (12) is Namibia's youngest black belt kickboxer and the reigning junior sportsman of the year.
The fighters will represent the country at the Jungle War VIII on 4 March in Johannesburg, South Africa, where team selection will be done for the Battle of Atlanta to be held from 15 to 17 June and the US Open from 30 July to 1 July in the United States.
Schoonbee congratulated the athletes and instructed them to go and make the country proud at the competition.
“Our aim is to send a strong, well-prepared team to the World Championships in South Africa in 2018. NKF plans to present a number of training camps during the school holidays in order to develop kickboxing in Namibia and to open branches in possibly in Oshakati, Rundu and Khorixas.
“We will also conduct coaching clinics and grading sessions twice a year and will provide and promote self-defence training for women with self-defence and kickboxing demonstrations to be held at local schools,” he said.
After the Jungle War event in South Africa, the athletes will return home to prepare for an interclub competition on 15 March in Walvis Bay and the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic on 4 May in Johannesburg.
The Jungle War event consists of a series competition, weapon series competition, points fighting, continuous fighting, full-contact fighting and a fitness challenge to determine the fittest competitor.
The Jungle War VII competition held last year consisted of points and semi-contact fighting, traditional kata, musical forms, national and world title fight in Pretoria.
SA fought Namibia and won the team event. A team was subsequently selected to represent Ring Contact Fighting Arts International (RCFAI) at the Battle of Atlanta. Members of this team secured four first, five second and two third places.
The first RCFAI tournament lasted for two days with more than 1500 fighters competing in 1993. It was the biggest kickboxing tournament ever held in South Africa. The Jungle War consisted of sport karate, semi-contact fighting, musical forms and two RCFAI professional world title fights.
OTIS FINCK
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