Noora al-Saffu intends to provide quality and entertainment at Ice Cage.
Finland Noora al-Saffun and Poland Justyna Krostan The kickboxing World Cup final between offered drama for all the money.
In the last seconds of the final round, Krosta’s upper left hook even knocked the referee onto the canvas for a moment.
Al-Saffu only found out later that he had actually accidentally kicked the referee in the same situation.
– No welding, what I had gone to do. It wasn’t intentional. It was just that we were under so much pressure that I didn’t even notice that he was in between, al-Saffu times.
Kickboxing under the umbrella organization Wako is a special sport because, unlike many other ring sports, points are not awarded based on rounds but on clean and hard hits.
The three judges can therefore see that the player in the red corner was more accurate in the first two sets, but the player in the blue corner can win the match with his three-set points alone.
Noora al-Saffu won her first World Championship gold in November. Kaisa Vehkalahti
In the World Cup final, the lead was thrown from one side to the other. With less than half a minute to go, al-Saffu led each of the three judges’ points.
– Then I heard an instruction from my corner: “Noora, lower kick points!” What’s going on? Did I lose the lead? Do I have to get points?
When the last round ended, only one judge on the scoreboard had scored the match in favor of al-Saffu. The scores of the two judges were tied.
So two judges had to make the final decision as to who won. They judge who got the last hit.
After a while, the decision came: the blue corner, Noora al-Saffu.
– Relief was the first feeling. Huh! Just had to try to keep a cool head, al-Saffu times the dramatic arc.
Finland comes from behind
According to the international sports association Wako, there are more than four million kickboxing enthusiasts. In November, a total of 199 athletes from 83 different countries participated in the World Championships in Abu Dhabi.
It’s not about a small sport. The Wako bosses have stated that the sport cannot practically grow any more, because there are already so many competitions each year. Despite Wako’s efforts, the sport has still not received an Olympic place.
The level is wide in the world, and compared to that, Finland is an exceptionally successful kickboxing country. Three World Championship golds and a total of six World Championship medals left Abu Dhabi.
– The pure truth is that Finns always go out into the world from the back. Compared to many other countries, our conditions are many times weaker.
Noora al-Saffu and Justyna Krosta’s lead changed several times in the World Cup final. Petteri Maunu / Kickboxing Association
– But those who stay with the sport do it purely for the right reasons. Will and guts set us apart from others.
Max’s offer
The timing couldn’t have been worse, al-Saffu says and laughs.
Just before the World Championships, promoter Max Hynninen suggested al-Saffu a match at the Ice Cage 6 event.
– I was just thinking that Noora, now you have to focus on the World Cup and not the professional match. Thoughts about it came up to training, but luckily they just disappeared when I got to the race venue in Abu Dhabi.
However, a professional match in the sold-out Espoo Metro-arena on Boxing Day is a great opportunity for al-Saffu. Finland’s top name in Thai boxing will meet Eeva Pohto.
– I would never have refused that match. There’s a top guy in front of you. I couldn’t get a better match in Finland in this weight class.
On Boxing Day, Noora al-Saffu gets into the cage to kickbox. Kaisa Vehkalahti
The match will be played as a professional K1 match. All techniques are allowed and there are no shields.
However, al-Saffu did not agree to one thing.
– Max suggested that we fight with freestyle gloves. However, I think we can have a much better match with proper boxing gloves. With little gloves, everything would change.
– As has been seen, rubber gloves also cause injuries more easily in vertical sports. It’s not smart, and I don’t know what kind of reward I would have had to be offered for fighting with little gloves for me to agree.
What kind of show do you offer the public?
– A versatile and action-packed show. We are both really strong stylistically. Eeva’s advantage is her even tougher physicality. But on the other hand, K1 is my sport. I’d say it’s going to be an entertaining and high-quality match.
We will see a very high-quality match in the Ice Cage, al-Saffu believes. Kaisa Vehkalahti