NRI from Punjab wins world kickboxing Featherweight title

Hoshiarpur, Jan 4 (UNI) Sunny Hira of Punjab, now based in Britain, pulled out all the stops to win Kickboxing World Super Featherweight event held in Ireland.

DSP Kulwant Singh told newspersons here today that Sunny Hira, hailing from Mazara Raja Sahib (Banga) and nicknamed ''The Hitman,''took the title from Ireland's Ricky Ferguson with a sensational six-round knockout.

Ricky, undefeated so far in a record 15 fights, 14 of them by knock out, came in fast from the first round with an onslaught of punches and kicks but this didn't deter Sunny as he paced himself well and stuck to the game plan of wearing his fighter down, Singh said.

However, as the rounds progressed at a fast and furious pace, ''the Hitman'' settled down and emerged as a much more skillful fighter, catching his opponent with some crunching cobra right hands and some solid body kicks.

With a crowd of 600 people behind him, Ricky Ferguson continued to storm forward with his rugged style trying to overpower Hira but by the sixth round Sunny was in command and put Ferguson on his back leg which did not suit his style. Sunny unleashed two left hook body punches and followed with a round house kick which staggered the tough Irishman.

Sunny then finished him off with a cobra right hand and suddenly Ferguson hit the canvas for referee Stephen Connor to count him out.

Sunny said, ''I trained hard for this fight and it has paid off.

It has always been my dream to become world champion one day. I would like to thank my coach Kash Gill, because without him I would never have reached my goal of becoming world champ.'' UNI