 It is the touch land here on Y-254. I'm Robert Osoro. Moksolo Sika is not here with us today but the touch land is still going on and we are joined by Takedu Master and his official name is Jafeta Huma. He is the world kickboxing federation of Kenya president and is actually expected to launch the Kenya Extreme Compact Sports Federation in Nakoro in just a few days. Takedu, welcome to the touch land. It's been a minute one. It's been long. How you doing? I've been fine man. I'm just looking at you but you're preaching the gospel of kickboxing in the country. How has it been so far since the launch of the federation in the country? Everything has been going well so far because I can remember now in the seven months since it was launched and since I was appointed as the world kickboxing federation Kenya president and so far we've held four events which have been successful for sure and the one that we are going to have in Nakoro that will be the fifth event for this year and remember we've been having only seven months in the office meaning that in every month I've been doing a lot to make sure that events are being held in different parts of this country. One may ask what is your motivation, what pushes you because it's now past passion that you're putting this sport now in the map and people are looking at it and saying we need to join in this conversation. Whatever has been pushing me remember I told you that I studied martial arts while I was at the age of 12 years and this has been my livelihood for sure. I've been doing nothing else for the past 30 years except doing martial arts, different kinds of styles and that's why I became the world kickboxing federation Kenya president and in fact the world kickboxing federation does an international entity, it's our international body, the affiliate body but now back here in Kenya we call ourselves Kenya Extreme Combat Sports Federation which I have to launch, I have to launch even with its official logo and that will happen in Nakuru on the 23rd of this month as next week's attack. So far what I've been doing around and traversing every county the same way I told you the first time I came here concerning the Walki Vosperation Kenya initiative it was that I promised to go to every county because remember what I've been saying not only in martial arts but it's even in football and every kind of sports that we do in this country people do engage themselves a lot in the capital city which doesn't count well because we have different kinds of talents that we can nurture and at least bring back glory to the country the only thing that I see people doing in a different way is things like athletics because you can find people like our legend Kipchoga or Elid Kipchoga, you can get them in iten in different places but when it comes to kickboxing for sure and let me say nowadays I don't want to call it kickboxing I call it mixed martial arts because it's all arts in we have Maithai, we have kickboxing, we have Sanda, we have K1 different kinds of styles so in our federation so it's high time that we as leaders of different federation should go at least to different counties and bring it back to the national level I want to ask, it is Wild Kickboxing Federation of Kenya and now you are going to launch the Extreme Compact Sports Federation what is the difference or what does it entail to have the Extreme Compact Sports Federation here in the country there's no difference, the difference is just the let me say the naming because Wild Kickboxing Federation Kenya is still one with the Kenya Extreme Compact Sports Federation because remember in Wild Kickboxing Federation Kenya we have different styles, that's why I call it mixed martial arts because we have kikboxing, we have Maithai we have Sanda, we have K1 then we have the Extreme Compact Sports itself Extreme Compact Sports is just that championship that whenever you guys stage it there we could be having Taekwondo is fighting there we could be having Karatekas fighting here we could be having Kikbox are fighting there then in different styles on their own so now the reason why I also decided to bring it as Kenya Extreme Compact Sports Federation while I went to register I was told and it's something that you can also understand as a sports journalist that remember you can't register anything in any country with the naming of Wild because Wild does international so does our international entity so we had to start with the word Kenya so we chose to use the word Kenya Extreme Compact Sports Federation and the extreme means that the sports that we do doesn't only involve one style it involves all those styles and it's an extreme sports way of fighting well that's a big one and it will be happening in Nakuru next weekend so what are the preparations for next weekend the preparations are really moving on well and I'm so happy and in fact thanks to the Nakuru County Government they've been supporting the Nakuru WKF of the Nakuru Kenya Extreme Compact Sports Federation office there because the last we had a tournament it was last month here in Pumwani Nairobi then Nakuru County clinched the presidential cup it was the first WKF Kenya president's cup and they took number one so they were supported with the county which gave them the way of transport and everything else and right now again because this is a seminar it's a seminar but now the launching is in this seminar last time we had a seminar in Nairobi and Nakuru guys had to come we also had to take it back to Nakuru because I decided that every county at least we'd be hosting an event so the preparation is moving on well because we'd be having it at the Menengai Social Hall which we've been given by the County Government of Nakuru and they've also given us different support that we need to facilitate the teams that will be there in Nakuru second seminar that you'll be having actually in office that is going on to Nakuru you had the first seminar also what were some of the lessons that you learned in the first seminar that you'll be taking on to the second seminar okay what I've learnt so far is that more of our players for sure they don't know the rules because remember in kickboxing or in this mix martial arts we bring in different people from different kinds of arts because remember even me myself I started with Karate I went to Taekwondo then I came to kickboxing so it's a mixture of punching 50% and kicking 50% so what happens here is that I've come to realise that even our referees the officiating is in a different way for sure we still and we have to go anochaia so that we can reach these international levels because you see if our players can be participating here you have one referee who is a boxer another referee is a Taekwondo historian Karateka is only good in managing the kicks counts the boxer is only good in managing what the punches counts which won't help a lot so we need to come up with something and train them so that they could know what the rules are then another thing with our fighters somebody might be a Maithai fighter somebody might be a Taekwondo somebody might be a boxer or different kinds of sides then when they come there we have to let them know that even if we call it mix martial arts it's not all about grappling or anything we need to use the techniques that are required there if it's full contact if it's light contact semi contact we need to go as per the rules and the regulations in the tournament so if we do that at least we'll be enlightening our fighters and they'll be knowing what should be used and at what time in there because very soon our focus now me my focus as the president is now going international and we should be starting with places like Tanzania Uganda we are going down we have Ethiopia then now we move on moving more internationally so for us to do that we must reach that international level and standard of officiating and also for our players to know the different kinds of styles that they are doing and the rules that should be used in the ring well that's a big one that will be coming on in Kuru on September 23 that is next weekend and some of the advantages that you have gained from these seminars that you have been holding all around the country the seminars are just two but I'll call them events because we've had a successful seminar that was in Kayole and it went on successfully the teams were many there then again we held another tournament that was the first tournament it was in Nakuru County it was successful the third one was joint training for Nairobi County clubs which we did in Kangemi was successful then the fourth one was this President's Cup that was last month in Pumwani that was here in Nairobi now the fifth which is the second seminar will be on the 23rd next Saturday in Nakuru and what I've gained a lot is that the clubs have really added sofa because I have like 17 clubs sofa and I have 200 players 45 of them are ladies now and you see different kinds of martial arts if you go and watch all these martial arts you can find out that there are no more ladies involving these kinds of martial arts or let me say combat sports but sofa in kickboxing now let me say mixed martial arts ladies have really joined it the kids have joined as young as 5 years and above and we've had different clubs joining us like in Nakuru we have Kivumbini we have Menengai not Menengai we have Kivumbini we have Flamingo we have Red Hawk we have Diani in Nairobi we have a lot of clubs meaning that there's been a plus in this then we've been having people also coming on board to support us like now we have people from Bavaria even if they are not sponsoring that big that people might think but there's a way they are sponsoring us and they are supporting us so if we look at all these in a span of 7 months we've gained a lot a lot of positivity your aim is taking this spot to the grass road level and Nakuru has been a mainstay when it comes to boxing in the country Nakuru you will be talking about boxing Kangemi social hall is a big place Pumuani and all those that you have been talking about how are the people are people receptive to it are the youth actually embracing the sport itself the youth have really embraced the sport for sure and you know they embraced it even before some years back the only problem that was there not only in martial arts it's in every kind of sports the leadership that's what I can say and remember what I told you the first day I came here is that me as the president I've been a fighter by the age of 17 I was in the national team for Taekwondo I've played for karate I've done everything concerning martial arts so I know the pain that all these players can go through or they've been going through you see so me their well-being is everything to me because I always say that if there were no footballers there would be no FKF or FIFA in the world if there are no fighters we wouldn't be having boxing Taekwondo, kickboxing anything else so we need to take care of these fighters first before we take care of us as the leaders because if there is corruption in any institution or any federation there is no growth and these fighters will start using drugs so they won't be having any hope or positive thought against any kind of sports so if we could manage the way I'm trying to do it not even trying I've done it for sure for that span so nambawan Nakuru for sure he's a hub of fighters he'll right now in kickboxing Nakuru has almost 100 fighters and they are good for sure so to me I'm trying to plan and talk to different people from Mombasa and even Homa Bay because we have our clubs in those places also they should also at least try copy what Nakuru has been doing and make them reach such a level because remember on the 28th of October we'll be having national team selection and it'll be here in Nairobi which I'll come back and say where exactly but I would like it to be done once we have most players in different counties so that it be a national team for sure not only that national team is from Nakuru and Nairobi and maybe Mombasa that won't work well so I need a clean national team that can really effectively represent our country as the ambassadors you have actually been basing it in Nakuru, Nairobi are we going to see Mombasa and Nyanuki also because Nyanuki has got a very good club also in that side are we going to see also taking it on to that side of the country Ya I'm going to take it soon because like in November I'll take it to Mombasa we'll have a tournament in Mombasa which I'm yet to announce also and we are visiting Homa Bay also so this year we must have visited all those let me say like four or five counties and trust me it will happen and when it comes to sports everything that we have to talk about will be seen we have to talk about we'll be celebrating 100 days in office actually a year in office for the sports ministry Honarbu Ababuna Mwamba he'll be on channel one on Monday to talk about the achievements of sports here in the country but the key question is usually as a federation are you aligned to the sports act 2013 Ya I've been pushing remember these even if you go for registration it doesn't just come out once you know it takes 120 days for you to be given the certificate but again I do say that it's not only about certificates it's all about what you do and what the sponsors or even the government itself can see you guys pushing on then they could recognize you guys then another thing that always tell you remember we have that threshold that says that we should be at least indifferent like not less than 24 counties Ya then at least the government as the ministry would recognize us and support us through sponsoring us to different kinds of sports which I think is not a big thing for sure because if you look at different kinds of sports even if it's all these martial arts they haven't covered that but what happens is that they've been engaging themselves example Tongil model is there we have Judo and we have different kinds of arts also Taekwondo let me say not only it's not that they are in every county but what they are trying to do they participate in different championships internationally so if they go for those assignments at least they bring back the glory to the country and the government recognizes and supports them and that's what I'm now pushing hard to do for now I can't blame the government that you see they are not supporting us for sure we are just 7 months old that we are working at for whoever has come around the world kikwooks federation can you explain kombas post federation things that it has been there for like many years okay my face has been there because I've been there in the other office so I'm still running the same thing but in a different office and different position the main aim is usually as a federation to be affiliated to the national olympic committee are you working on that? that's a good question remember olympics is something friendly and peaceful with kickboxing they do say that it's a rough or let me say tough sport it's a sport but in a way it's a bit people do think it's brutal but not so remember even recently they were talking about removing the boxing part of participating in olympics but I don't think that will happen I'm praying that they just let boxing stay there but for kickboxing we can't be in olympics yet because there are a lot of rules that will be so if you look at taekwondo if you've been watching taekwondo some years back while we guys were fighting we used to knock people down we used to fight hard but now if you look at taekwondo it's like demo the reason why they did that it's because of the rules that are needed to govern the olympics so for us we can't be in knock well it's a tough one considering that the olympics is coming away at the 2021 actually one year around the corner and Kenya will be there but it was sad news yesterday as Elizabeth and Diego did not manage to defeat Elhaji Marek of Morocco to get a chance in the heavyweight category to represent Kenya and that chance has gone to Elmarek of Morocco tough for us but we have to fight but let me tell you for sure I respect Elizabeth and Diego we are good friends and close friends and we work together in different parts and she's been training people well there in Kaiole she's been with us as the federation also pushing to at least give back to the society remember she had an accident some years back bad accident and people thought that she won't make it back remember from that fracture of the leg she came back and she took the silver position and it's like being rivals the two of them and they have been rivals they are the best of the best actually in Africa now but to me I still say that and Diego is the best I still say that remember she was the first lady Kenyan lady boxer to represent us in Olympics last time so she's a good ambassador in boxing and such an humble lady for sure you are final word final word is just this people are in Kuru join us through to Nakuru on the 23rd that will be next week on Saturday you are free to come join us come learn more about mixed martial arts we'll be there in many guys social all so guys come supporters and for any well wishers who are seeing us working well with these come supporters and let's make a good national team these are our future adesanyas Konama Gregas and Ngano so let's support each other let's come up and do it as one yes we can guys well there has been a takid master the world kickboxing federation of Kenya president talking to us here on the touch and considering that they'll be launching the Kenya extreme compact sports federation in Nakuru later this month actually next weekend on the 23rd I'm Robert Osoro let's enjoy some rugby world cup considering that is going on in France can the spring books retain the rugby world cup they'll be playing Romania later today but also we got the international break that happened this weekend Kenya lost to South Sudan won in Qatar 2 goals to 1 lost to South Sudan what does that say about Kenya also we have got the running in of who is going to be coming next football Kenya federation president we've got the Fuma Sekafa Secretary General Nicholas Mussone is also putting his hands on the race he'll be racing there again as the Fuma football Kenya federation president Sam Nyamoya in that category but also we've got extreme sports CEO and founder Hussein Mohamed also in that category will be talking much more when it comes to football with Mike Sumeyu and Erka Ganya when we come back for the fan zone