19-02-23 - Disappointing weekend for team USKA on two different events
Not the greatest weekend for Team USKA this weekend at the WFMC European Championships at the North Solihull Leisure Center on Saturday and Sunday and at the WRSA / CKA Promoted Battle of the Club full Contact Gala in Chippenham, Wiltshire on Saturday Evening for Nikita Raubiska's 5 Nations Title Figh against the very talented Aston Young from Falcons Kickboxing Gym in Kent.
Firstly the WFMC European Championships over both Saturday and Sunday...
Where do we start!
Well, a team of 14 Fighters including Abdullah Riaz, Hawwa Sarfraz, Dawid Gizewski, Zain Amer, Maryam Sarfraz, Kaifah Imran, Julia Glowacz, Idrees Yusuf, Remy Mann, Muzaker Rehman, Ateeq Al Rehman, Shakeel Hussain, Sami Kelly and Usman Mohammed had pre entered to compete over the two day competition.
Before this In the week leading up to the competition many of our fighters were contacted to be informed that there was no one entered in their age and weight classes with them trying to move them up into unrealistic, unfair and most importantly in our opinion unsafe divisions which Coach Qasim Beg told them point blank not to agree to.
All of our fighters were then told that matches had been found for them and all was good.
On arrival to the North Solihull Centre the fun and games began!
Each fighter was told that despite them having them paid £35.00 per category to compete and despite them having their ICO Licence Books with them they would need to purchase a WFMC Sports Book at a cost of £15 per fighter (another £10 if they wanted to have their picture put in it).
Reluctantly each fighter paid this with no other option available to them.
No forms were filled out and on handing over their money they were handed the unfilled WFMC Sports Book that after that point were not looked at or filled out by any official present at the competition.
Next... The weigh in!
The meticulous USKA Team all made their agreed weights only to see other fighters missing their weights by up to 2kg still allowed to enter their registered weight divisions.
So not only are the WFMC combining weight divisions but they are also allowing fighters to not make weight for those divisions making the weight splits even further apart.
I shouldn't need to highlight how dangerous this is and it was brought to the attention of the WFMC World President Wayne Edwards who did nothing to reweigh the overweight fighters to undo the mess.
The Fights... Or should we say lack of them!
The Kihapp system for whatever reason did not seem to be giving anyone accurate Fight Times. Some fighters literally waiting hours around mats and rings after their scheduled fight time slots.
Many of our fighters when eventually called to fight had their hands raised in shallow victory due to ghost opponents not showing up, some that had not even weighed in but no one felt it important to relay that information to their opponents who spent two days at an event with no one even there to fight.
On at least two occasions our coaches were told by other coaches that they had pulled those particular fighters out of the competition and informed the WFMC days before the event.
Our fighters were told on multiple occasions by the Wayne Edwards the WFMC President that they would not be receiving refunds (for not fighting) but instead be crowned European Champion and presented with a £5 trophy and a certificate with the wrong date printed on them and February spelt incorrectly on them, how very professional for a European Championships.
So, £35.00 entrance fee, £15.00 WFMC Sports Book... No show from the opponent... Hand raised as the winner... £5.00 trophy and a misspelt certificate (and if anyone is stupid enough to believe it, a European Title)
For the 7 out of the 14 that did get to fight!
We had 6 Gold's and 4 Silvers.
The WFMC is a farce, the worst competition by a country mile that we have ever had the misfortune of attending.
It is so transparently just a money making cash cow for the organisers with absolutely no customer care with parents, fighters and coaches being called rude or being walked away from for voicing their concerns with the madness that was taking place from start to finish of the day.
All of the officials on the mats and in the rings that our coaches spoke to agreed that it was a terrible competition and could not wait to get out of there.
Our advice based on our experience this weekend, steer well clear of the WFMC, they are everything that is wrong with Martial Arts Competitions in the UK!
In other news...
USKA's Nikita 'Rapid Fire' Raubiska travelled to Chippenham in Wiltshire at 4 weeks notice in his very first Full Contact fight to challenge the very talented Aston 'Tango' Young from the Falcons Kickboxing gym in Kent for the WRSA 5 Nations Title.
Promoters were struggling to find an opponent overseas to step up and fight Aston with him having a great reputation and they reached out to the USKA Team to see if we had someone who was willing to step up to the plate.
Nikita would be giving away age, experience and having to move up in weight for the challenge but jumped at the chance and the experience knowing win, lose or draw that he would learn as a fighter in the process.
Following just over a three week fighting camp where he worked his socks off it was time to drive to Chippernham with a small following of spectators and his coaches Sean Quinn and Shakeel Hussain.
Here's how the fight panned out...
Round 1: A fast start from Nikita and a good work rate seemed to shock Aston. Nikita had the best of the round landing some good body kicks throughout.
Round 2: A closer round with Nikita continuing with a good work rate and variation but Aston finding a good head kick at the end of the round to close the gap somewhat.
Round 3: A change of tactic from Aston seen him land the cleaner work throughout with great hit and move tactics negating Nikita's pressure.
Round 4: More of the same from Aston bringing in good variety of hit and move technique and strong inside work when the bout fell in close.
Round 5: With it all to fight for in a very close fight Nikita went all out in an attempt to turn the tide of Aston's last couple of rounds success. Nikita was landing more shots but Aston taking the eye with cleaner work albeit it not as much. The clash of tactics made it a little scrappy at times with the judges having to decide if they liked the work rate and pressure of Nikita or the at times cleaner work and movement of Aston.
On the final bell it looked from the outside that it was going to be a close decision either way or maybe even a draw with both lads having their fair share of moments over the five rounds.
Unfortunately for Team USKA it was Aston who got the nod winning by a split points decision to be crowned the new WRSA 5 Nations Champion.
Well done to both lads on a great job, to Nikita for stepping up and performing amazingly and of course congratulations to Aston and his Team on the win.
Hopefully this is a fight we will see again as a rematch soon as it lived up to all expectations.
