Rhigos kickboxers hopeful of World Championship title win
The athletes aged 10 – 35 years old, have been training for many years and having been given the opportunity to represent Wales they are now hopeful of a title win in their retrospective categories as they compete in the WKU World Championships 22.
The competition will be held in Cardiff between 23-29 October and will see athletes from over 30 countries battle over four days to be awarded the ultimate title of ‘world champion 2022’.
Throwing its weight behind the club and its competitors is local energy company, Pennant Walters, which has provided £1,500 of funding which has allowed all competitors to purchase the appropriate kit.
Those representing Wales from WCKA Rhigos include:
- Yale Davies,10, competing in points and continuous fighting
- Parker Morris, 11, competing in continuous and points fighting
- Michael Davies, 35, competing in points fighting
- Lilly Parry, 15, competing in continuous and kick light fighting
- Dominic Jenkins,19, competing in continuous fighting
- Hollie Phillips, 17, competing in points, continuous, kick light fighting
- Tyler Jones, 18, competing in points and continuous fighting
- Tanisha Evans, 20, competing in points and kick light fighting
- Mackenzie Wilson, 20, competing in points, kick light and continuous fighting
- Robert Taylor, 22, competing in continuous and kick light fighting
Alan Phillips, Committee Member at Rhigos Kickboxing Club, said:
“This competition is the pinnacle of the kickboxing and karate calendar and all our fighters have been training so hard, for so long, to get to this point.
“Having ten of our club members representing Wales is just fantastic and we couldn’t be prouder.
“The funding from Pennant Walters is the icing on the cake. Kit is expensive, and we all know how difficult it is to juggle household bills, so we are grateful that this funding has meant that all of our competitors can all go forward to represent our homeland.”
The funding from Pennant Walters is linked to Pennant Walters’ 9 turbine 22 MW Mynydd Bwllfa windfarm near Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf, which became operational in summer 2015. It builds on previous donations which have seen the company provide money to support various local community groups.
Pennant Walters asset manager, Harry Llewellyn, said:
“Everyone should feel incredibly proud of themselves – to be chosen to represent Wales is such a huge honour in itself. I know just how hard these athletes have all worked to get to this point, even competing in the World Championships is just a dream to many.
"Our wind energy project community funds exist to make a difference to the local communities in which we work – benefitting people directly. We’ll be rooting for all the Rhigos competitors this week as they take on the challenge. Good luck to them all!”