Galway fighter Eric Daly has been crowned the new European super lightweight kickboxing champion.
Daly, the current All Ireland and Five Nations full contact kickboxing champion, took on Europe’s no 1 ranked fighter Sarwar Hamid in Gort on Saturday night, and the man took the title by judges’ decision after the fight went the full championship distance.
Both Daly and Hamid showed superb kicking ability, coupled with excellent boxing skills, but it was Daly who impressed the judges.
Hamid pushed Daly to his limits, but the Gort fighter was the faster and stronger throughout and had the British man in trouble in the fourth round with front kicks to the face and vicious body punches which slowed him down.
The fifth and final round had Daly ahead on all score cards and Hamid, needing a knockout to claim victory, came out with all guns blazing. Daly, however, remained in total control and halfway through the round landed a jumping spinning back to Hamid’s head to conclude proceedings.
In other action Claregalway’s Martin Murray defeated Dungarvan’s Keith Moroney for the vacant IKF Junior Welterweight kickboxing title, while Gary Manogue, James Ward and Aidan Brooks all won their bouts by TKO, helping the Galway Black Dragon Kickboxing Club to 11 wins, one draw and just four defeats.
New European champ Eric Daly will start a kickboxing club in the Gort community centre on Wednesday October 5 at 5.30pm for juniors and at 6.30pm for adults.
