Members of the Ying Yang Kickboxing club of Fgura Malta are participating in the WKA (World Karate and Kickboxing Association) world championships 2010, which are being held at Edinburgh Castle, in Edinburgh, Scotland, between the 23^rd and 30^th October.

The Malta delegation is composed of eight athletes, coach – Master Noel Mercieca and other officials. They will be participating in K1 and Kickboxing with low kicks. This is the second time that Malta will be participating in these prestigious world championships, the first being in 1999 when the event was held in Malta.

The Ying Yang athletes are amongst the best and most successful martial arts practitioners in the Maltese Islands, their list of success over the past twelve years include  

• WKN EUROPEAN CHAMPION Daniel “The Jet” Zahra – Kickboxing, Amateur Light Middleweight, beating Adrien Lafaurie (France) in Malta, October 2007
• WKN WORLD CHAMPION Daniel “The Jet” Zahra – Kickboxing, Amateur Middleweight, beating Furleton (Northern Ireland) in Malta, September 2009
• WKN EUROPEAN  CHAMPION Daniel “The Jet” Zahra –  K1 Rules, Semi-Pro Middleweight, beating Mohamed Jama (Holland) in Malta, February 2009
• WKN WORLD CHAMPION  Kursten Borg– Kickboxing, Junior Amateur Light Heavyweight, defeating Ali Hanedar (Belguim) in Malta, September 2009 
• WKN WORLD CHAMPION Stefan Cassar – Kickboxing, Amateur Super Middleweight, defeating Kiriakos Konikkos (Cyprus) in Malta, September 2009
• WKN WORLD CHAMPION Ruth Tanti – Kickboxing, Amateur Featherweight, defeating Nuura Mohamed Sayed Ahmed (Egypt) in Malta, September 2009
• WKN EUROPEAN CHAMPION Terence Cilia – K1, Amateur Middleweight, defeating Stuart Jess (Northern Ireland) in Malta, May 2010.

The Malta team for the WKA world championships all hail from the Ying Yang club and is composed of:

Seniors

(Veteran) Daniel Zahra – 73Kg – competing under K1 Rules.

Reuben Azzopardi – 78 Kg – competing under K1 Rules.

Rowena Mallia – 48 Kg – competing under Kickboxing with low kicks. (Female)

Isaac Chetcuti – 77 Kg – competing under Kickboxing with low kicks.

Wayne Spiteri – 92 Kg – competing under Kickboxing with low kicks.

Juniors

Monarit Vella – 61 Kg - competing under Kickboxing with low kicks. (Female)

Althea Vella – 49 Kg – competing under Kickboxing with low kicks. (Female)

Courtney Vella – 33 Kg - competing under Kickboxing with low kicks.

Coach: Master Noel Mercieca - spoke with Malta Boxing News, just before the Maltese contingent boarded their flight for Scotland. He explained that notwithstanding the difficulties in the team preparation and training program they had managed to achieve the desired level both at the technical and physical level.

When asked to expand on what sort of difficulties he encountered – Coach Mercieca explained that it was mostly work related - “All our athletes are either employed or students, a competition of this level requires months of daily preparation, long hours of training, our members have to carry the financial burden of their preparation, sometimes incurring serious loss of earnings,” Said Mercieca.

Coach: Mercieca continued to explain that this team was composed of veterans, less experienced athletes and juniors competing for the first time at this level – “It is very important to introduce new blood and give the younger kickboxers experience,” – “If we are to maintain and improve our level exposing these young fighters to international competition creates an incentive and is of paramount importance in the development of the athletes skills,” Said the coach.

PR officer, competitor and representative for ‘Hugo’s Passion’ sponsor for the Malta, K1 and Kickboxing team 2010, participating in the world championships Isaac Chetcuti, said that he was happy and honored to be part of the Ying Yang success story.

THE WKA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS CAN BE SEEN LIVE ON

http://www.247.tv/kickboxing/freestream

The registration process at the WKA world's Scotland 2010