Local gym Macao Boxing House will be holding a charity boxing event on Saturday with proceeds going to Macau Special Olympics.
The translation of the event’s Chinese name is “Once You’re High You Will Explode”, according to the event organiser, owner of, and trainer at, Macao Boxing House Cheong Wai.
There will be five boxing bouts, five kick-boxing bouts with amateur fighters from Macao Boxing House plus local gyms Life Project and Chong Wa Athletic Association taking part. There will also be a special performance in which two members of Macau Special Olympics and two Macao Boxing House pugilists will perform a boxing-related choreography.
The Macau Post Daily caught up with some of the fighters while they were training at the Macao Boxing House gym in Fat Lei Industrial Building in Areia Preta earlier this week.
Alex Ao Hon Lek, who had previously had two professional fights, said that “professional boxing is too hard so I don’t think I’ll do it anymore”. However, he was quick to add that he had been training for this fight for two months. Ao went on to say, “My work is boring and boxing is fun, I don’t like any other sport and training with friends makes me happy. I am confident that I can win on Saturday.”
Boxers (from left to right Kane Hoi Ka Heng, Hin Leong Man, Tang Choi Ieng, coach Cheong Wai and boxers Alex Ao Hon Iek and Huang Guo Qing pose in Macao Boxing House, Areia Preta district on Monday afternoon. Photo: Lesley Wells
Kane Hoi Ka Heng will be taking part in his second charity boxing match on Saturday, the first being four years ago. Hoi said that he had been training for this fight for six months.“My family stopped me training when I started work as I work on shift, but when I found out Macao Boxing House was open again after the [novel corona] virus I decided I wanted to fight in this charity event,” Hoi said, adding, “I hope I’ll do well on Saturday.”
Huang Guo Qing will be fighting in a charity event for Macao Boxing House for the third time on Saturday, having won his two previous bouts. “I am feeling very confident so I hope I can win this fight. I want to KO him [his opponent] early,” he said.
Hin Leong Man has been an amateur fighter for eight years and has won 15 fights. Hin said that because he is now working, he has fewer chances to fight. “I am excited about Saturday,” he said.
The only lady fighting on Saturday for Macao Boxing House is Tang Choi Ieng, a Physical Education student at Macau Polytechnic Institute (IPM). “This is my first fight and I have been training for six months, as I am at university, I have more time to train,” Tang said.
She added, “I really enjoy boxing, I was a little nervous when I first decided to take part in the charity event, but I have been training for a long time so I am less nervous now.”
Cheong said, “We originally planned this event in April but because of the virus were unable to go ahead. We decided that we wanted to promote a healthy life to young people to encourage them to exercise as few people were exercising [due to COVID-19].
“We want to promote boxing and because of the virus everyone and the economy are suffering, so because of these problems in society we felt it was important to care for the minorities which is why we decided to hold this event for Macau Special Olympics,” he added.
“Cheong said that the performance that includes two members of the Special Olympics team was like a boxing dance and that they had been practising for a week.
“We are looking to have more cooperation with Macau Special Olympics so I hope that we can work more closely with them,” said Cheong, adding, that he hopes they can do this kind of event every year.
The event is from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday at Fat Lei Industrial Building in Areia Preta. Admission is 200 patacas per person with free food and snacks.
