Winners to be rewarded in more ways than one

Title winners will have two reasons to celebrate at the national Muay Thai kick boxing championships to be held at the Masterton Young Citizens Club on Saturday.
Not only will they be crowned as the best in the land in their respective weight divisions but they will also earn themselves selection in the New Zealand team to contest the world Muay Thai championships in Thailand from November 27 to December 5.
Manager of that team will be Sue Latta from Featherston and she says the chance to represent their country will be a huge incentive for fighters to produce the goods.
"Many of those involved will have had the worlds as their primary objective for a fair while now and they will have themselves in top shape for this weekend," she said.
"It guarantees there will be some spectacular action going on, that's for sure."
As is normally the case at national championships some titles will be won unopposed but those winners will not be disadvantaged when it comes to national selection.
"These fighters are generally people who are so good that others in their division don't want to get into the ring with them," she said. "It's not their fault they won't be fighting so you could hardly penalise them, could you?"
Among those who will be awarded titles unopposed are Bryce Baron, of Masterton, in the men's A division under-91kg class, Nepia Poutu, of Featherston, in the men's B division 91kg plus class and Selina (Beany) Davi,s of Masterton, in the women's under 63.5kg class.
All told 21 bouts are expected to be staged, starting at 2pm, and perhaps the best of them will come in the men's A division under-86kg section where Billy Davis, of Masterton, will come up against Willie Lamb, of Auckland, in what will be a straight final.
Both Davis and Lamb are experienced campaigners with all the moves at their command and a battle royal seems assured.
Competitors in B division fights have had less than 15 bouts and two Wairarapa entrants with bright prospects in the men's under-75kg class are Cody Temuri, of Masterton, and Jade Ngapera, of Featherston.
The highly-regarded George Murray, of Featherston, will make his first appearance in senior ranks in the B division super heavyweight division while the straight final for the junior men's under-60kg title will see Kirk Davis, from Featherston, taking on Fred Paul, from Auckland, in what should be another all-action affair.
Known as the science of eight limbs Muay Thai kick boxing allows use of the knees and elbows as well as kicks and punches.
Almost any part of the body is considered a fair target and any part of the body, except the head, may be used to strike an opponent.
It is often touted as the ultimate in hand-to-hand fighting.