By MICHAEL MIYOBA
NEWLY launched City Fight Club has appointed former Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) champion Dino Bagattin as the head trainer of the first ever mixed martial arts club in the country.
Speaking during the launch of the club based at Lewanika Mall in Lusaka, City Fight Club executive director Justin Palmer said the target is to pioneer the development of the sport in the country.
Palmer, who is also City of Lusaka Football Club’s general manager noted that the club and its new coach Bagattin from South Africa will be scouting the Lusaka area looking for talented fighters who can be empowered through sports.
“Through an elite training programme, and utilising world class facilities, City Fight Club hope to develop athletes that can represent Zambia on the international stage,” Palmer said.
He noted the need for the corporate world to join the wagon of people trying to develop the sport in Zambia to produce champions.
Meanwhile, Bagattini reaffirmed his commitment to train athletes who would challenge for continental and world championships in the future.
Nicknamed “The Lion” Bagattini who claimed the EFC championship in 2013 said he was impressed by the zeal and determination shown by athletes who have joined the club and are already showing great determination to be champions.
And Mutinta Mweene who is among the only two female mixed martial artists registered encouraged girls to take interest in joining the sport which has a lot of benefits.
Mweene who has been training for over two months is hopeful that one day she will be champion noting that mixed martial arts like any other sport requires discipline and courage to succeed.
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