Champion kickboxers from all over the world are camping out in Dublin for the week as a major kickboxing tournament comes to the county.
The world’s elite fighters are in town for the WAKO World Championships, which sees 52 countries and more than 600 athletes take part in the week-long event.
Among the countries represented are Belarus, the US and Jordan, with fighters seeking to take home gold in two different disciplines of kickboxing - semi-contact and full contact - as well as musical forms.
It’s the first time Ireland has hosted the event and is the result of more than 20 years of hard work by the sport’s official body in Ireland.
The opening ceremony took place in Citywest Conference Centre yesterday morning, with Minister of State for Transport, Tourism and Sport Michael Ring putting in an appearance, along with representatives from the Irish Sports Council, the Olympic Council of Ireland and the local council.
The visiting fighters were treated to an Irish dancing display from Celtic Rhythm.
President of the Kickboxing Ireland organisation Roy Baker opened the proceedings, with a warning for competitors.
“You’re in Ireland; when you step out on the mat against an Irish fighter, be prepared for a fight,” he told the crowd.
Shortly after the official ceremony, fighters took to the mats to try to secure their place in the next round. They will compete throughout the week before the finals take place on Saturday.
National semi-contact team coaches Dave Heffernan and Ilija Salerno are confident that the Irish fighters will be well represented in the finals.
“We have 15 fighters in the seniors – nine women and six men; we’re expecting eight gold medals,” Heffernan said.
Both coaches know exactly what the fighters are going through. Salerno is a former world champion and Heffernan is not only coaching the team, but is also part of the squad.
Both agree though that being on the coach’s side of the mat is far more stressful.
“It’s a lot more hard work. We have to think about their opponents, look at the draw sheets, the referees, look at the way the opponent is fighting – it’s very tactical,” Salerno said.
Mr Ring said he was hopeful that some attendees would return to the country in the future.
“It’s another international event that’s in the country. We’re used to having golf and we’re used to having rugby and soccer. It’s great to see the kickboxing association actually having a world event here in Dublin,” he said.
Although kickboxing is seen as a minority sport in Ireland, the country is ranked sixth in the world, Baker said.
“[The tournament] is the biggest and most prestigious event we’ve ever staged in the history of kickboxing,” Baker said. “It’s a huge opportunity for our sport to develop and receive better media exposure, and to entice people and help them understand kickboxing in Ireland is huge.”
There are more than 12,000 registered members of the Kickboxing Ireland organisation. The country is also home to one of the largest kickboxing tournament in the world, with the Irish Open held in March every year.
“We’re a very large sporting organisation but unfortunately we have a very small media presence,” Baker said.
