Successful evening for Keith Azzopardi and Samuele Andolina
Another successful evening for Team Noel’s professional athletes Keith ‘Speed’ Azzopardi and Samuele Andolina. These two fighters competed during the ‘Centurion MMA Malta Resiliance’ event held last Saturday, 26th October. They were the first two kickboxers in Malta to compete in K1 Rules in the Mixed Martial Arts Octagon.
Andolina showed dominance from the very start with precise techniques which included direct body kicks and a good use of his right cross. During the first round, Samuele Andolina managed to land a perfect spinning hook kick – quite a complicated kick which he performed with ease.
The Italian/Maltese athlete continued to dominate the rest of the fight against Iskandar Shodiyev of Uzbekistan. This eventually led to a knockout when Andolina managed to land a body kick which left Shodiyev gasping for air.
After such an intense fight, well known K1 fighter Keith ‘Speed’ Azzopardi stepped in the octagon to face his opponent Abramo Abderrahim from Italy. Azzopardi has built a reputation both nationally and internationally especially after being crowned world champion twice in the span of a week.
This professional Maltese athlete did not disappoint as he displayed various ‘spinning kicks’, which he is well known for, thus providing a spectacular bout. He was also quite agile and lived up to his ring name ‘speed’. Azzopardi was eventually awarded the well deserved win by a unanimous decision.
These two professional athletes were coached by Master Noel Mercieca along with their corner men Christopher Rotin, Brandon Spiteri and Shaun Falzon who are all fighters from the same club.
World Championship in Cork
After an intense weekend of kickboxing and K1 fights in Cork, Ireland, the ISKA Kickboxing World Championship has come to an end. A total of sixteen Maltese athletes took part in such a tournament and competed in various styles of both kickboxing and K1.
The Maltese team consisted of Mariah Camilleri, Logan Attard, Ismael Azzopardi, Carlos Morino, Justin Pace, James Busuttil, Clayton Zammit, Faith Azzopardi, Wandy Amber Pace, Jakov Bosnjak, Sven Farrugia, Triston Piscopo, Jesred Piscopo, Celeste Galea and Diane Schembri Xerri.
Renowned local kickboxer Diane Schembri Xerri achieved one of the best results where she competed a total of four times in just a day. She won three of the said fights and unfortunately lost the last one by split decision against an experienced fighter from Denmark.
Diane has been training with local club Ying Yang Team Noel under the wing of Master Noel Mercieca for several years and has achieved various successes along the way.
The said local athletes were assisted by their coaches Master Noel Mercieca from Ying Yang Team Noel Kickboxing Club, Evan Frendo from Kibishii Michi Kickboxing Club, Al Creed from Malta Thai Boxing and by the president of the Malta Kickboxing Association (MKBA), Mr. Isaac Chetcuti.
The Maltese team arrived back in Malta earlier on this week with a total of twenty one medals – four gold, six silver and eleven bronze. Well done to Team Malta for such an achievement.