South Sudanese kickboxers Simon Sudani Bole (L), James Majok (R) with their coach Poru Okelo (C) pose for a photo during a training session in Juba, capital of South Sudan, Nov. 18, 2019. (Xinhua/ Gale Julius)
South Sudanese kickboxers hope to realize self-worth and fight for their nation's honor on the international stage.
JUBA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Four years ago, James Majok walked into a local youth center to acquaint himself with what was actually taking place there, little knowing that the visit would become a turning point in his life.
The 30-year-old said he was an ardent football fan since childhood, but that changed in 2015 on learning about martial arts in his neighborhood.
"I was motivated to join kickboxing in 2015, and I find it very interesting. I hope one day I will bring a medal for my country," Majok told Xinhua Juba.
Majok has become a key figure in South Sudan's martial arts industry after being crowned this year's national Kickboxing Champion.
South Sudanese kickboxer Simon Sudani Bole poses for a photo during training session in Juba, capital of South Sudan, Nov. 18, 2019. (Xinhua/Gale Julius)
Having garnered huge local following and admiration, Majok has set sight on the international boxing arena.
Known for being a sportsman from a conflict-torn country, Majok hopes to use his kickboxing skills to improve the image of his country.
"I want to train harder so that I retrain my national championship and also win titles in Africa and across the world, not only for me but for my country," Majok said.
Unlike football and basketball, boxing remains relatively unpopular in the East African country, but a new generation of youth like Majok is determined to take martial arts to another level.
South Sudanese kickboxer James Majok poses for a photo during training session in Juba, capital of South Sudan, Nov. 18, 2019. (Xinhua/Gale Julius)
"In the next five years, I want to keep fit, keep strong and face more challenges and bring medals for my country," said Simon Sudani Bole, another boxing enthusiast in Juba.
Like Majok, Bole hopes to one day represent South Sudan in international tournaments such as the Africa Boxing Championship and the Summer Olympics.
"I'm ready to be part of the team going to bring glory to this country and lift our name higher," said the 27-year-old Bole.
Poru Okelo, a professional kickboxing coach and promoter, said South Sudan has a lot of potential in boxing, but huge investment is still needed to unleash the hidden potential.
South Sudanese kickboxers Simon Sudani Bole (L) and James Majok (R) pose for a photo during training session in Juba, capital of South Sudan, Nov. 18, 2019. (Xinhua/Gale Julius)
Okelo, who helped introduce kickboxing into the world's youngest nation in 2010 said the country has stepped up preparations for the World Kickboxing Championships 2020 in Cairo, Egypt and also prepare for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
"We are ahead of the game and we have already started to mobilize the human resources and gather funds here and there. 2024 will find when we are already on our track," Okelo said.
"We hope it (boxing) will be the first sport to bring medals to this country," he added. ■
