Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Pictures: Courtesy of STRIKE Promotions
EVERYONE probably still remembers the country’s first amateur kicking boxing event STRIKE: Battle of Pride - held at the Airport mall in November.
But of course not for the fights inside the ring but for the public brawl which unfortunately brought the event to an abrupt end.
It didn’t take much time for STRIKE Promotions to recuperate from the heartache as they are back and will be organising STRIKE: Redemption at the Jerudong Park Amphitheatre from March 9-10.
Despite all the disappointment previously, STRIKE co-founder Firdausi Zainidi is confident that they can give the sport a much positive outlook.
“We definitely want to bounce back stronger after what had happened especially since that incident gave the public a negative perception of the sport,” said Firdausi in a recent interview with BruSports News.
“This time we have really put more attention into into the security aspect and we are having the event in an enclosed area which is at the Jerudong Park Amphitheatre.
“Since we will be showcasing special needs athlete Sunny Sabornido from Malaysia, we have invited a number of special needs organisations which is sort of our way to give back to the community as well as to bring awareness and inclusiveness to the special needs community. Throughout this year, we really want to promote this sport with a good cause,” he added.
“The amateur tournaments will showcase both kickboxing and boxing bouts and this is where we want to develop the sport from the grassroots level.
“This platform will enable us to identify potential talent which can be further nurtured and developed.
“For this tournament specifically, we want to come back in a big way and show that we are here to stay and we are here for a good cause,” continued Firdausi.
The main card, which will be on the evening of the first day, will feature a total of seven exciting bouts.
Local talents will include Aaron Lim from Project Mayhem, Saufy Jaman from Nak Muay Fight Gym and Wali Rahman from Silverback Muay Thai.
However, the highlight will be the matchup between special needs athlete Sunny Sabornido from Malaysia against Arie Ananda Putra from Volkz Lutador Academy, Indonesia.
Tickets for the competition will be available soon. More info can be obtained by following their IG @strike.bn or Facebook page at strikebrunei.
