Japanese company to invest in kickboxing in Ghana

Accra, July 24, GNA 96 A Japanese company, Remix Models Company is to invest in kickboxing in Ghana.

The project, which is being undertaken in collaboration with Afro Company Limited of Ghana, will seek to introduce and institute the oriental sport in Ghana with the view to providing the youth the platform to make a living out of it as professionals.

Dr Christian Kpodar, consultant to the Project told the Ghana News Agency on Monday that the inaugural pre selection tournament to pick the first batch of potential kickboxers who would be groomed for competition will take place at the Prisons Officers Canteen at Cantonment on Monday, August 7.

He said the Japanese company decided to invest in the sport in Ghana because it was convinced that talents for kickboxing abound in Ghana based on the popularity of boxing and football in the country and the gameness of Ghanaian pugilists.

The Consultant said 40 people would be selected for the first batch of training, which would be facilitated by technical experts from Japan and those who would distinguish themselves would be given the chance to pursue their careers in Japan.

Dr Kpodar said Remix Models Company would bring in equipment and build gyms to make the sport attractive to the youth, adding that the Japanese Company also planed to show clips of kickboxing on the nation's television networks to generate interest and popularise the sport.

He said with the pedigree of the Ghanaian in boxing and the practice of karate catching on with the youth, kickboxing would offer career incentives to many Ghanaians who would otherwise have been redundant in the employment market.

The Consultant appealed to the youth, particularly those with potent physical and mental capacity to join the league and carve a career in the sport, which is a high flier and a money spinner in Japan and other parts of Asia.