A small but determined Nelson martial arts club has taken the New Zealand flag to the world stage, competing at a major World Cup event in Italy.
SMA Kickboxing sent six fighters to Europe in February to contest multiple divisions at the prestigious tournament, which attracted competitors from 65 countries and more than 3000 athletes chasing gold, silver and bronze.
Bhakti Rutledge, Mikey Ching, Aaron Thomas, Otis McPherson, Miguel Nunez and Lily Sinclair travelled with coach Sallie McArdle, and in a rare achievement SMA was the only New Zealand martial arts club represented.
“It was amazing to see the fighter’s names on the scoreboards with NZL next to them, but as the only fighters there it made everyone extra keen to do the country proud.”
In the junior male tatami division, Otis fought superbly to claim a bronze medal. He showed strong character to win his second bout by a single point, then backed up less than ten minutes later in the semi-final, taking his British opponent right to the final seconds.
Bhakti was the youngest fighter in his division and, while outmatched on experience, displayed a never-say-die attitude. He and his Italian opponent finished the bout exhausted as the final whistle sounded. The Motueka High School student is one to watch as his experience and mat time grow.
With the novice division cancelled, Mikey was forced to step up into the advanced section and showed grit and determination, going down by a single point in the second round.
Senior fighters Lily and Aaron also fought hard with limited preparation. Aaron was particularly unlucky, narrowly losing to his Swiss opponent despite leading with 30 seconds remaining.
K1 kickboxer Miguel performed strongly throughout his campaign before losing by decision to a Bosnia and Herzegovina fighter in the quarter-finals. The result was made harder to take when his opponent was unable to continue in the competition.
Sallie praised all six fighters for their efforts, especially given their limited opportunities to compete internationally.
“Most of the international fighters at the event have come up through the ranks, competing in novice for a year before moving into intermediate for another couple of years, and when they are ready, starting their advanced sections. Our fighters have only been training between one and three years total, and have extremely limited opportunities to compete nationally, never mind competing internationally.
“One of the happiest moments for me as the coach was seeing their smiles coming off the mat, even after a loss, and knowing that smile was coming from the realization that they were in Italy competing at a World Cup.”
