This archive report was first published on 24 August 2019.
The national mixed martial arts team, Jasiri, has departed for South Korea to participate in the 2019 Chungju World Martial Arts Masterships Championship, a prestigious international multi-discipline competition.
On Wednesday, the team of 19 players and three officials was flagged off at State House, Nairobi by President Uhuru Kenyatta, marking the beginning of their journey to the tournament.
According to the Kenya Tong-Il Moo-Do chairman, Master Clarence Mwakio, the national team has made significant strides and is expecting an improved performance from the 2016 championship, where they bagged one gold medal, two silver, and five bronze medals.
“Thanks to the government through the Ministry of Sports, Tong-Il Moo-Do has grown in leaps and bounds. Sports CS ambassador Amina Mohamed and her team have pulled all the stops to ensure this team participates in this global event,” Mwakio said.
With over 4,000 martial artists from more than 100 countries expected to converge in Chungju, the team's head coach, Master Hillary Wahanda, emphasized the importance of discipline, fitness, and mental strength in martial arts.
“Martial arts is a highly technical game that calls for discipline, fitness, and high degree of mental strength. We have done our best to instil these values in addition to working on the team’s technical know-how,” Wahanda said.
The tournament, which has adopted the Olympic model and is designed to be the future Martial Arts Olympic, will end on September 3.
