Helping hand ends in gold medal

Featherston Muay Thai kick boxing exponent Sue Latta did another competitor a favour at the Arafura (Asian Pacific) Games in Darwin last weekend, and picked up a "totally unexpected"gold medal in the process.
Latta, has won a host of major Muay Thai, kick boxing and straight boxing titles over the years but retired from active competition about two years ago after becoming pregnant with her now 13-month-old son Faolan
That being the case entering the ring at Darwin was about the furtherest thing from her mind when she travelled there as manager of the small Kiwi contingent. But after discovering that Australian Sara Martin was the only entrant in the women's 75kgs division she decided to make a "mini comeback" just to provide Martin with competition.
"There's no real satisfaction in winning gold if you don't fight so I thought I'd help her (Martin) out&.it was pretty much a spur of the moment thing," Latta said.
Reflecting on the bout itself, Latta readily concedes fitness was an issue for her but said she was able to utilise her greater experience to produce a victory. "It was tiring but it was fun, I enjoyed it," she said. "There were a few sore spots afterwards but, hey, you've got to expect that.".
Her success has not, however, motivated Latta, who turned 38 last Sunday, to seriously contemplate competing again on a serious level.
"No, I think it's wise to leave it to the younger brigade, I've had my day,"she said. "And it's always nice to be able to say you went out on a winning note, isn't it?"
Latta also took huge pleasure in Darwin from one of her star pupils at her Featherston-based Muay Thai Club, George Murray, scoring a silver medal in the junior men's 95kgs plus division. In what was his last fight in the junior ranks the 18-year-old Murray was up against Iranian Akbar Karimi in the final and started rank outsider, with Karimi having won gold and silver medals at world championship levels in a career spanning over 150 bouts. Murray, by comparison, has yet to reach double figures in that respect.
Coach Latta was "enormously proud" of Murray's effort which saw him match Karimi blow for blow in the first round before the fight was stopped in the second with Murray very much on the defensive.
" He (Karimi) was lethal with the power of his punching. George said afterwards he had never felt anything like it," Latta said. "But he stood his ground, you had to admire his courage. He will learn a lot from that.".
The Kiwis came away from the Arafura Games with one gold, two bronze and four silver medals and, apart from Latta, those fighters are expected to contest the New Zealand Muay Thai championships which will be held at the Genesis Recreation Centre in Masterton on June 13.
Latta will be wearing two other hats there, those of president of New Zealand's MTFA (Muay Thai Federation Amateur) and national selector, and she expects some exciting competition over divisions ranking in weight from 45kgs to 91kg plus, particularly with winners qualifying to represent their country at the world championships in Bangkok later in the year.
The full list of entrants won't be confirmed until early next month but are likely to include a good number of Wairarapa-based fighters including Bryce Baron, Billy Davis, Selina Davis, George Murray, Cody Tumuri, Kirk Davis, Nepia Poutu and Jade Ngapera.