- Title: TANZANIA: Champion martial artist in Tanzania hopes to popularise kickboxing
- Date: 1st April 2008
- Summary: KASEBA TEACHING A STUDENT AT HIS PERSONAL GYM VARIOUS OF KASEBA AND STUDENT TRAINING VARIOUS OF MAN WORKING OUT VARIOUS OF MEN/ BOYS IN THE GYM TRAINING
- Embargoed: 16th April 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA63OI4U1B4ZR7YUB6WJBZL3NYY
- Story Text: Champion martial artist from Tanzania is trying to encourage more Tanzanians to take up the sport of kickboxing.
Punching and jabbing his way across Dar Es Salaam's beaches is Japheth Kaseba, a top international kickboxer. This Tanzanian champion is preparing for the most important night of his career - the world lightweight kickboxing championship title fight.
"The difference between boxing and kickboxing is that in boxing you only use punches, but in kickboxing you're allowed to fight with more than that. You can use punches, your elbows and your knees," says Kaseba.
Kickboxing originated in Thailand and is still fairly unknown in Tanzania.
Juma Tambaza is Japheth's personal trainer and sparring partner.
In 2002 the two got foreign funding to train in the Netherlands for six months. But Tambaza believes that the sport will not develop in Tanzania unless there is local support.
"The challenge we face is sponsorship because the game is not well known and that's why sponsors are not forthcoming," says Tambaza.
Despite the obstacles, interest in the sport is growing here.
As evening sets in, fans gather at the Diamond Jubilee Hall. Tanzania has never hosted a kickboxing title fight and as the curtain raiser matches kick off, many cannot wait for the main event to begin.
By the time Japheth Kaseba enters the ring, some of his fans can hardly contain themselves. The reigning world lightweight champion Abjeet Petkar who has flown in from India will defend his title over the next ten rounds.
To the thrill of the audience, Kaseba doesn't make them wait long for a Tanzanian victory as a single jab sends Abjeet to the floor.
"I am happy to have won this match. I would like to thank all my fans and the media for supporting me and being here. Their support is the reason for my victory," Kaseba said after the match.
Kaseba is now making it his personal goal to get more people interested in kickboxing in Tanzania. In order to get the word out and make a living he gives private lessons. Kaseba charges about 15 U.S. dollars per training hour.
His clients aren't just men. Joy Ali is a lawyer and has been Japheth's student for two years.
"One of the reasons why I took kickboxing is because my lifestyle can be a bit stressing with deadlines, working with clients and so I thought kickboxing is definitely one way to reduce that stress because when you are kickboxing you have to learn to relax your whole body. When you are punching and you are tense you can actually feel your muscles aching so you have to learn to relax while you are kickboxing," Ali says.
The rest of Kaseba's time is spent training new kickboxing students at the gym he built in his own compound. These lessons are held for free as most of his students are unemployed. According to Kaseba, kickboxing keeps young people focused and off the streets.
There is now a waiting list to join Kaseba's classes.
He dreams of expanding his gym so that he can use kickboxing to help even more young Tanzanians improve themselves and maybe even one day become champions like him. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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