Bad luck hits Wairarapa kickboxers

Lady Luck was not exactly kind to the Wairarapa connection at the world amateur kick boxing championships which concluded in Thailand last week.
Gordon Pye of Masterton was eliminated in the third round of his opening bout in the under-71kg class after receiving a cut above his eye while Sue Latta of Featherston, pictured right, was ruled out by an achilles injury suffered during training just two weeks before the event.
It was still a busy time for Latta, however, as she filled both managerial and coaching roles for the 18-strong New Zealand team in a competition which attracted 700 competitors from 70 nations.
Latta, who had won a silver medal in her grade at the 2002 world championships, travelled to Thailand in the hope of being fit enough to compete in the 63.5kg to 67kg weight class but withdrew after finding herself unable to complete even the warm-ups in pre-tournament training sessions.
"I couldn't jog let alone run - there was no way I could get there,' she said. "I was gutted but there wasn't a heck of a lot I could do about it."
Latta said Pye was more than holding his own when eliminated in his bout. He was struck a blow by his opponent's knee just above the eye and the resultant cut, which required stitching, was enough for the fight to be stopped.
It was Pye's first appearance at a world championship and Latta said he had every reason to be proud of his performance.
"He competed very strongly and might well have won but for the cut," she said."It's just unfortunate that when those sort of things happen in kick boxing that's the end of it. They don't let you carry on."
Latta was "very pleased" at New Zealand coming away from the championships with four medals, one gold, one silver and two bronze.
Rowan Samson of Taranaki won gold in the under-60kg junior men's grade, Karen Lynch of Christchurch was runner-up in the women's under-67kg grade and Dion Crouch of Hawke's Bay and Andrew Banham, also of Hawke's Bay, were placed third in the men's under-91kg and under-86kg grades respectively.
Latta said the Eastern Bloc countries were a dominating force at the event with many of their competitors having huge experience.
"It wasn't unusual for them to have had 100 fights?.they knew every trick in the book.," she said.
Latta was impressed with the organisation of the championships and believes their success would have helped kick boxing's case to become part of the Olympics, possibly as early as 2008 but more likely 2012.
"The Olympics is the ultimate goal and the progress we are making in that regard has been good," she said. "There are a number of steps still to be taken before we get there but we're definitely heading in the right direction."
On the home front Latta said planning was already under way to hold the first ?ever Oceania kicking boxing championships in the Wellington area in April next year with Taita the likely venue.