Kickboxing lets Senegalese fight for their dreams

DAKAR - Senegal's new world kickboxing champion Mouhamed Tafsir Ba smashes an uppercut into the punching bag in a dilapidated room in a military barracks.

Bare-chested, muscles glistening with sweat, he works on the bag, delivering punches at a dizzying speed.

This is the punishing regime that helped Ba win the -90kg category at the World Association of Kickboxing Organisations (Wako) World Cup in Uzbekistan in September, giving Senegal the first world title in its history in a sport that is attracting a growing number of fans in the west African country.

In the women's competition, his compatriot Ndeye Khady Diallo won a second consecutive silver in the lightweight -60kg class. Those results show the rapid growth of a discipline that appeared in Senegal only around 30 years ago.

Kickboxing is developing fast in the country, driven by a handful of tireless enthusiasts, despite a lack of resources.

Back at the barracks, coach Phamora Toure is training the national team, demonstrating moves and advising fighters.

The former African champion, who discovered the sport by watching the films of Belgian action star Jean-Claude van Damme, is one of the pioneers who launched kickboxing in Senegal in the late 1990s.