Down’s finest are guests of honour

Down’s finest are guests of honour

19 November 2014

FIRST Minister Peter Robinson invited Northern Ireland’s ProKick team, which includes two County Down fighters, to Stormont to honour Northern Ireland’s latest sporting successes.

Samantha Robb, from Tyrella, and Darren McMullan, from Ballygowan, won their first world titles at a spectacular event at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, which saw competitors fly in from seven different locations throughout the world.

Robb worked hard to keep the title from Sona Ceredejova of Slovakia and had her Co. Down supporters confident that the title was hers from the very first round.

McMullan ripped the title from the German David Wachs, stopping him in the third round.

Mr. Robinson congratulated ProKick’s ‘Lords of the Ring’ team which produced the largest number of world champions in Northern Ireland’s sporting history with five new world kickboxing champions victorious in one night’s work at the Ulster Hall.

Each of the new world championships are all locally trained at the ProKick gym in east Belfast

ProKick’s Billy Murray, who is a former world champion, used the reception to unveil plans for the 2015 ‘Fight for Peace’ through the sports initiative he co-founded with another former world champion, Carl Emery, from Switzerland.

The First Minister’s interest in both groups was evident as he took time from his busy schedule to speak to Mr. Murray and his team about both ventures. Details were also passed to the First Minister about the planned rebuilding of the ProKick gym.

Mr. Murray said: “To have our First Minister invite us to Stormont and to honour our sports elite was just fabulous

“ It was another proud moment in the history of ProKick gym and the sport of kickboxing in Northern Ireland. It is a tremendous boost for us all.”

You can find out more about ProKick Gym by contacting the gym on (028) 9065 1074 or visiting www.Prokick.com.