Fighters meet in ENB
The National, Thursday 11th April, 2013
By FRANKIY KAPIN
A ONE-day semi-professional kickboxing regional championship will be staged in Kokopo for the first time on May 11.
East New Britain provincial sports coordinator and co-initiator of the code there, Emmanuel Laplapir made the announcement after his return from Port Moresby yesterday.
Laplapir said the meeting in Port Moresby agreed that Kokopo would host the tournament.
He said the code was young in the province after being introduced by former national champion and PNG Kickboxing Association president Stanley Nandex in 2009.
He said kickboxing had a great following in ENB, following the first representative fight staged during the ENB provincial games in 2009 and a team to the national championships last year in Port Moresby.
He said the exceptional performance of the contingent last year enabled two fighters to be selected to travel for overseas semi-professional challenges.
But, he said, the tournament scheduled in Croatia had been deferred.
He said the tournament would now be held this year in Florida, United States America.
Laplapir said the staging of the tournament in the province was a major boost for code.
He said preparations were under way for the tournament at the Kokopo Secondary School hall and Diocesan Hall at Vunapope.
Laplapir said the tournament was expected to be dominated by the four New Guinea Islands provinces, with only Manus yet to confirm attendance.
After the regional tournament will be the national championships in Port Moresby.