Kick-boxing champ wants Govt help for youths

Naresh Bhola is sharing his passion for kick-boxing with young people in South Trinidad.

The physical education teacher at Princes Town Junior Secondary School has his own school of kick-boxing called “Zion’s”. He is also a fitness freak and lectures to several organisations on good health and fitness. But his passion in life is kick-boxing and his  mission is to establish an institution for this sport. For the time being he has opened his home on Knolly Street, Princes Town, to potential kick-boxers. Bhola said the sport has given him a sense of direction in life.

“Having learnt the art, I was determined to pass on the knowledge to the young people. I harboured a burning desire to reach out to the young people who are full of energy and teach them the art of kick-boxing. This art is so beautiful it helps you to develop coordination with the muscles in your body and with your mind. It gets your physical body moving in style. This is why this art is recommended for young people,” he said. He added that a fit body means a fit mind and this is the philosophy he uses to teach the thousands of students who pass through his hands at the secondary school.  Bhola spends plenty time surfing the net for new equipment and refresher courses on the sport.

As a youngster Bhola loved Chinese martial arts movies and would sit glued to the television once they were being shown. When he was 13 years old he was introduced to karate at St Stephen’s College, Princess Town. While a student at Presentation College, San Fernando, his first tutor, Shodan Rawl Cambridge Shotokan spent long hours showing him the different karate moves.  After two years he gave up  to concentrate on his studies. While he was attending UWI he took up karate again, this time under the tutorship of Sensi Tumpak. After a couple of months he had to discontinue for several personal reasons. Then in 1985 he joined yet another karate class at the  Princes Town Senior Secondary School, “Lion Style”.  He continued pursuing this art for 15 years and holds a black belt.

It was in 1990 the kick-boxing instructor, Brandon Burke introduced the sport  to the karate students. “I decided to spend a lot of my time and effort behind it because I liked it. The high jumps and the quick foot-works were very exciting. It is a disciplined art but with more actions,” he said. He excelled within a short space of time and went on to win many trophies for karate. In 1995 due to numerous requests from the youngsters who attended the junior secondary school, he opened his own school of kick-boxing. With no place to train students he decided to use his own garage. Classes are on Saturdays and adults also come for training.  Bhola has expanded to the Princes Town Senior Secondary, where he tutors children from three to 15 years. Apart from training the youths he takes them hiking and on trips to waterfalls.

Dejectedly Bhola noted that the Government has done little for this sport in Trinidad. He said that the few bodies and sports clubs involved in teaching are at war and as a result the Ministry of Sports refuses to help anyone.  He explained that the National Kick-boxing Council (NKC) lead by Brandon Burke has a few groups under that umbrella and the Trinidad and Tobago Kick-Boxing Federation (TTKBF) has many of the south-based groups under that umbrella and for some reason the two groups are always at war.  Zion’s Club where Bhola tutors is under the TTKBF. “Whenever we request a meeting with Government officials seeking assistance the other group never shows up and we are asked to reschedule,” he said.

It is Bhola’s wish to see the Ministry call all kick-boxing groups together and form one organisation that can take the sport into the future. Furthermore, he is calling on the corporate sponsors to look at the progress of this sport and assist in getting a ring for kick-boxers. He noted that building a ring locally would cost $20,000 and importing one from Miami US$9,000. The material needed for a ring includes canvas rope, board, wood, ply, sponge and turn buckle. Naresh hopes to accomplish his goal of getting a ring and the establishment of a proper school in south during the course of 2003.