Desk Report:
The country’s young and emerging combat fighters kept the capital’s Bashundhara residential area busy with a day-long battle. The amateur martial arts competition ‘Crystal Insurance PLC Presents Zulkan Beatdown 02’ was held in a festive atmosphere.
The day-long competition was organized on Friday (August 7) in the main ring on the second floor of the state-of-the-art combat venue ‘Zulkan Indoor Arena’ at Bashundhara Sports City. In this, amateur fighters participating from different parts of the country got the opportunity to showcase their skills and abilities as well as gain experience in competitive fighting.
The organizers said that the event aims to familiarize the country’s amateur fighters with international-level competitions, improve their physical capabilities and tactical skills, and promote them to the professional level in the future.
More than 20 bouts were held in the day-long competition in three disciplines – Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Boxing, and Kickboxing. Each fight was in three rounds of 3 minutes. The fighters’ tactics, speed, technical skills, and intense fight for victory created great excitement among the audience.
One of the main attractions of the tournament was the ‘Super 4 Amateur Championship’. In this phase, the two fighters who won the semi-finals faced each other in the finals on the same day. The fighters who won the final fight were awarded the much-awaited Julkan Beatdown Championship belt.
This year, belt finals were held in a total of 8 categories. In addition, attractive medals were given to the fighters who won the single bout. Along with the men’s competition, the women’s kickboxing 50 and 65 kg weight category fights were also the focus of increased interest from the audience.
The title sponsor of the tournament was Crystal Insurance PLC. United Healthcare’s United Medical College Hospital served as the official healthcare partner to ensure the medical care and safety of the fighters participating in this high-risk combat sport. The round-the-clock presence of a medical team at ringside during the competition ensured the safety and confidence of the fighters.
The lively presentation of official MC Waheeda throughout the event further increased the excitement of the competition. Her presentation created an atmosphere of an international standard sports event in the entire venue.
The Julkan Indoor Arena at Bashundhara Sports City is a specialized combat sports center. There are professional boxing rings, international standard full-size MMA cages or octagons, grappling and wrestling mats, and modern fitness equipment.
Regarding the future plans of Zulkan Beatdown, Bashundhara Sports City Head of Operations Masudur Rahman Manna said, “To get fighters at the professional level, we have to focus on amateur level fighters. Zulkan Beatdown emerged from that plan. God willing, through this beatdown, we will be able to produce professional fighters in the future who will represent the red-green flag of Bangladesh on the international stage.”
The organizers hope that by organizing such competitions continuously, the scope of amateur combat sports in the country will be further expanded and the path to producing skilled fighters who can compete in the international arena will be paved.
