Kick Boxer Slumps …It’s Normal – Coach

Fear gripped athletes participating in the kick-boxing event at the ongoing 17th National Sports Festival in Port Harcourt when a  kick-boxer from Rivers,  Menia Jack, slumped during a fight yesterday.

Jack slumped in the third round of the -81kg fight with Rotimi Adekunle of Ondo State after he had received  a barrage of kicks to the body.

National kick-boxing coach, Cletus Okegbe said that an athlete slumping was a normal occurrence in the sport, particularly if the athlete lacked stamina.

He said the match was adjudged a knockout for Adekunle.

Okegbe urged the fighters to be courageous and focused as that was the requirement for excellence in the sport.

He said that kick-boxing had come to stay in Nigeria though people had the wrong impression that the game was only for Asians.

The coach said the federation expected to discover more talented fighters who would represent the country in international championships.

“We expect more hands and talented fighters in kick-boxing here and I believe that these ones will go far representing the country,” he said

An athlete, who witnessed the incident, said that he was gripped by fear when the Rivers athlete slumped.

“I am afraid of what happened; kick-boxing is not easy and entails fighting and kicking with both hands and legs.

“My prayer is to go in and come out safely,” the kick boxer said on condition of anonymity.

Similarly, Nwoke Victor, a Plateau fighter who fought against Yusufu Auwal of Jigawa and won in the – 54kg category, said that what happened to Jack made him afraid.