W.A.K.O. World Championships 2001 (Belgrade)
Encyclopedia
W.A.K.O. World Championships 2001 were the joint thirteenth world kickboxing
championships (the other was held earlier that year in Maribor, Slovenia) hosted by the W.A.K.O.
organization. It was the second championships to be held in Serbia and Montenegro
(the Europeans had been held here back in 1996) and was open to amateur
men and women across the world.
There were three styles on offer at Belgrade; Full-Contact, Low-Kick (men only) and Thai-Boxing (men only). The other typical styles, Semi Contact, Musical Forms etc, had taken place at the sister event in Maribor. By the end of the championships Russia
was the strongest nation overall, followed by Belarus
in second and hosts Serbia and Montenegro
in third. The event was held over five days in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
, starting on Wednesday, 21 November and finishing on Sunday, 25 November, 2001.
to over 91 kg/+200.2 lbs
, and the women had seven ranging from 48 kg/105.6 lbs
to over 70 kg/+143 lbs
. Notable winners included was Roman Romanchuk
who would also have some success in amateur boxing and Fouad Habbani who made the successful transition to Full-Contact having won gold in Light-Contact at Maribor. By the end of the championship Russia
was by far the most successful country in the category winning seven golds and six bronzes in both male and female competition.
to over 91 kg/+200.2 lbs
. The most notable gold medallist was Ivan Strugar
who won yet another gold medal (sixth overall) at a W.A.K.O. championships, while future K-1 MAX
and Superleague
fighters (and brothers) José Reis
and Luis Reis
won bronze. By the end of the championships the host nation Yugoslavia
was the strongest country in Low-Kick winning five gold, one silver and one bronze.
is the most physical style of kickboxing in which the contestants use punches, kicks, elbows and knees to attempt to defeat their opponent, often by referee stoppage or via a point's decision. As with other forms of amateur kickboxing, participants must wear head and body protection. At Belgrade the category was open to men only with twelve weight divisions ranging from 51 kg/112.2 lbs
to over 91 kg/+200.2 lbs
. Notable winners included Andrei Kulebin
winning the first of what would later be many world titles and future It's Showtime 77 MAX world champion Dmitry Shakuta
. As with the last world championships Belarus proved to be absolutely dominant once more in Thai-boxing, going one better this time by picking up an incredible nine gold medals.
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
championships (the other was held earlier that year in Maribor, Slovenia) hosted by the W.A.K.O.
World Association of Kickboxing Organizations
The World Association of Kickboxing Organisations is one the international organization of kickboxing, and the governing body of Amateur kickboxing sport certified by SportAccord...
organization. It was the second championships to be held in Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
(the Europeans had been held here back in 1996) and was open to amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
men and women across the world.
There were three styles on offer at Belgrade; Full-Contact, Low-Kick (men only) and Thai-Boxing (men only). The other typical styles, Semi Contact, Musical Forms etc, had taken place at the sister event in Maribor. By the end of the championships Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
was the strongest nation overall, followed by Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
in second and hosts Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
in third. The event was held over five days in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, starting on Wednesday, 21 November and finishing on Sunday, 25 November, 2001.
Full-Contact
Full-Contact is a form of kickboxing where both punches and kicks are thrown with full force with strikes below the waist prohibited. Most matches are settled by either a point's decision or referee stoppage and like most other amateur contact sports, head and body protection is compulsory. More detail on Full-Contact rules can be found on the W.A.K.O. website. At Belgrade both men and women took part in the style with the men having twelve divisions ranging from 51 kg/112.2 lbsPound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
to over 91 kg/+200.2 lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
, and the women had seven ranging from 48 kg/105.6 lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
to over 70 kg/+143 lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
. Notable winners included was Roman Romanchuk
Roman Romanchuk
Roman Romanchuk is a Ukrainian amateur boxer national gold medalist in 1995, who later adopted a Russian citizenship,...
who would also have some success in amateur boxing and Fouad Habbani who made the successful transition to Full-Contact having won gold in Light-Contact at Maribor. By the end of the championship Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
was by far the most successful country in the category winning seven golds and six bronzes in both male and female competition.
Men's Full-Contact Kickboxing Medals Table
| -51 kg | Olleksandr Sasyn  |
Francisco Fernandes  |
Ramin Allahverdiyev  |
| -54 kg | Aleksandr Fedorov  |
Damian Lawniczak  |
Maxim Glubochenko Lazaros Hatzisavvas  |
| -57 kg | Fouad Habbani  |
Youness Bouignane  |
Eduard Mammadov Eduard Mammadov Eduard Mammadov is an Azerbaijani kickboxer, nicknamed the "White Wolf". He is a current fourteen times World Association of Kickboxing Organizations World Heavyweight Low Kick Champion and the European World Kickboxing Heavyweight Champion.-Kickboxing career:Mammadov started his professional... Pedro Marta |
| -60 kg | Michal Tomczykowski |
Bouchaib El Bilali  |
Vladimir Pykhtin Dejan Kekic  |
| -63.5 kg | Malik Mangouchi |
Arild Mikalsen |
Badre Belhaja Danylo Stepanenko |
| -67 kg | Ruslan Batrutdinov |
Mariusz Ziętek |
Krasimiz Gambazor  Roman Pichuk |
| -71 kg | Robert Nowak |
Rafael Gazayev |
Thomas Kristiansen Konstanine Belooussov |
| -75 kg | Ramadani Besnik  |
Oleyandr Kirsh |
Tomasz Walenski Andreas Papadakis |
| -81 kg | Roman Romanchuk Roman Romanchuk Roman Romanchuk is a Ukrainian amateur boxer national gold medalist in 1995, who later adopted a Russian citizenship,... |
Solobodan Marinkovic |
Alessio Rondelli  Abdelhai Hanine |
| -86 kg | Yohann Lemaire |
Mostapha Lakhsen |
Ljubiša Ilić David Bybee  |
| -91 kg | Stanislav Zemlyakov |
Sean Collier | Andriy Ivanov Wayne Turner Wayne Turner (kickboxer) Wayne "Homeboy" Turner, alternatively spelt Waine, is a Birmingham based Kickboxer from Smethwick. He is a former I.S.K.A. World Cruiserweight Kickboxing Champion who has fought for a number of promotions including K-1 over a lengthy career.-Biography/Career:Wayne was born in Aldershot into a... |
| +91 kg | Ivan Rudan  |
Vyacheslav Bednyy |
Florentin Pintescu  Dmitri Guerassimov |
Women's Full-Contact Kickboxing Medals Table
| -48 kg | Olesya Gladkova |
Veronique Legras |
Cinzia Vargiu Rita Takacs  |
| -52 kg | Oksana Vasilieva |
Fatma Akyüz  |
Tatiana Rinaldi Aliya Boranbayeva  |
| -56 kg | Barbara Plazzoli |
Edyta Olewniczak |
Evguenia Grebenchtchikova Goranka Blagojevic |
| -60 kg | Milijanka Cenic |
Monika Florek |
Julia Nemtsova K Amatava  |
| -65 kg | Marjut Lappalainen  |
Bouchara Errahmani |
Karolina Lukasik Marija Divjak |
| -70 kg | Olga Slevinskaia |
Bojaha Trajkovic |
No bronze medalists recorded |
| +70 kg | Kabira Rochai |
Izabel Cavka |
Daniela Lazarevska  |
Low-Kick
Low-kick is a style of kickboxing which is similar to Full-Contact, allowed strikes (punches and kicks) to be thrown at full force, with the only difference being that strikes are also allowed to the legs of the opponent. Fights are mainly won by a point's decision or by a referee stoppage, with head and body protection mandatory for all contestants. More details on the rules can be found at the W.A.K.O. website. At Belgrade the category was open to men only with twelve weight divisions ranging from 51 kg/112.2 lbsPound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
to over 91 kg/+200.2 lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
. The most notable gold medallist was Ivan Strugar
Ivan Strugar
Ivan Strugar is a Montenegrin kickboxer. He is a winner of numerous trophies and accolades both in amateur and professional competition, and is one of the most popular sportsmen in Montenegro. He currently fights in WAKO Pro association, out of Ariston gym in Podgorica.-Amateur competition:*2001...
who won yet another gold medal (sixth overall) at a W.A.K.O. championships, while future K-1 MAX
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
and Superleague
Thai & Kickbox SuperLeague
Thai & Kickbox SuperLeague, commonly known as SuperLeague, was a former kickboxing organization that was based in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Austrian businessmen Marcus Bauer and Willi Wokurka in 2003 with the aim to bring together champion fighters from across the world into a single...
fighters (and brothers) José Reis
José Reis (kickboxer)
José 'The Devil's Advocate' Reis is a Portuguese Muay Thai kickboxer of Cape Verdian descent fighting out of Lisbon, Portugal for Olival Gym at either welterweight or super middleweight. He is the 2010 W.F.C.A. Full Contact world champion and a x2 K-1 MAX regional champion who has fought for both...
and Luis Reis
Luis Reis
Luis "Dinga" Reis is a Portuguese Muay Thai kickboxer of Cape Verdian descent fighting out of Lisbon, Portugal for the Olival Gym. He is a K-1 MAX and It's Showtime regional champion who has also won medals for Portugal at amateur level...
won bronze. By the end of the championships the host nation Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
was the strongest country in Low-Kick winning five gold, one silver and one bronze.
Men's Low-Kick Kickboxing Medals Table
| -51 kg | Utkir Hudoyarov  |
Mergien Monguch |
Jozdan Vasslilev Shyam Seebaluck  |
| -54 kg | Milos Anic |
Nurlan Valiev |
Vusal Babayev Mariusz Cieśliński |
| -57 kg | Evgeniy Khil |
Nicolai Muhailov |
Mirbel Suiunbajev Gabor Kiss |
| -60 kg | Nikola Mladenovic |
Viatcheslav Tislenko |
Tahir Duishekeyev Saidi El Houssain |
| -63.5 kg | Milisan Icic |
Boughnim El Mostafa |
Alexandru Pogorelov Alessio Pastifieri |
| -67 kg | Isa Mambetov |
Ruslan Kovalenko |
Luis Reis Luis Reis Luis "Dinga" Reis is a Portuguese Muay Thai kickboxer of Cape Verdian descent fighting out of Lisbon, Portugal for the Olival Gym. He is a K-1 MAX and It's Showtime regional champion who has also won medals for Portugal at amateur level... Valeri Akinchine |
| -71 kg | Issaev Ioussoup |
Dmitri Lihodumov  |
Sanjar Saparbekov José Reis José Reis (kickboxer) José 'The Devil's Advocate' Reis is a Portuguese Muay Thai kickboxer of Cape Verdian descent fighting out of Lisbon, Portugal for Olival Gym at either welterweight or super middleweight. He is the 2010 W.F.C.A. Full Contact world champion and a x2 K-1 MAX regional champion who has fought for both... |
| -75 kg | Ivan Sočo |
Kanatbek Sydygaliev |
Oleg Outenine Anatoliy Dyakov |
| -81 kg | Ivan Strugar Ivan Strugar Ivan Strugar is a Montenegrin kickboxer. He is a winner of numerous trophies and accolades both in amateur and professional competition, and is one of the most popular sportsmen in Montenegro. He currently fights in WAKO Pro association, out of Ariston gym in Podgorica.-Amateur competition:*2001... |
Drazenko Ninic  |
Ali Porsukov Abudakar Abakarov |
| -86 kg | Ismailov Magomed |
Stanko Pavlović |
Anuar Ibrayev Ilko Makshutov |
| -91 kg | Ante Varnica |
Ruslan Azizov |
Georgi Siderov Sergey Sokolov |
| +91 kg | Jovan Nikolic |
Jasmin Sejdinović  |
Mirko Vlahovic Tugomir Gruica |
Thai-Boxing
Thai-boxing (more commonly known as Muay ThaiMuay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
is the most physical style of kickboxing in which the contestants use punches, kicks, elbows and knees to attempt to defeat their opponent, often by referee stoppage or via a point's decision. As with other forms of amateur kickboxing, participants must wear head and body protection. At Belgrade the category was open to men only with twelve weight divisions ranging from 51 kg/112.2 lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
to over 91 kg/+200.2 lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
. Notable winners included Andrei Kulebin
Andrei Kulebin
Andrei "Bullet" Kulebin is a Belarusian Muay Thai welterweight kickboxer fighting out of Minsk, Belarus for Gym "Kick Fighter"...
winning the first of what would later be many world titles and future It's Showtime 77 MAX world champion Dmitry Shakuta
Dmitry Shakuta
Dmitry "Shok" Shakuta is a Belarusian Muay Thai super middleweight kickboxer fighting out of Minsk, Belarus for the SK-55 gym. He is an eight time amateur and professional world champion who is most well known for being the It's Showtime 77MAX world champion between 2008-09.-Biography/Career:Born...
. As with the last world championships Belarus proved to be absolutely dominant once more in Thai-boxing, going one better this time by picking up an incredible nine gold medals.
Men's Thai-Boxing Medals Table
| -51 kg | Andrei Kulebin Andrei Kulebin Andrei "Bullet" Kulebin is a Belarusian Muay Thai welterweight kickboxer fighting out of Minsk, Belarus for Gym "Kick Fighter"...  |
Maxim Slipchenko |
No bronze medalists recorded |
| -54 kg | Dmitry Koren |
Oleg Movchan |
Issam Laafissi |
| -57 kg | Mohamed Ajuan |
Edgar Arutyunyan |
Moghad Eshan Rastegar  Ahmed Chaikho  |
| -60 kg | Rachid Boumalek |
Dmitry Ouchkanov |
Oleksiy Neskyy Kic Brahislav |
| -63.5 kg | Evgeni Gvozdev |
Mourad Tijarti |
Celap Hehad Oleksiy Kandalintsev |
| -67 kg | Alexei Pekarchik |
Shamil Gaydarbekov |
Pavlo Batsynu Jakob Szilard |
| -71 kg | Yuri Bulat |
Yevgen Chronobrovtsev |
Namiq Hashimov Dmitry Kurbatov |
| -75 kg | Dmitry Shakuta Dmitry Shakuta Dmitry "Shok" Shakuta is a Belarusian Muay Thai super middleweight kickboxer fighting out of Minsk, Belarus for the SK-55 gym. He is an eight time amateur and professional world champion who is most well known for being the It's Showtime 77MAX world champion between 2008-09.-Biography/Career:Born... |
Khabib Gadjiev |
Milan Maljkovic Khalid Hanine |
| -81 kg | Yauhen Anhalevich |
Lorenzo Borgomeo |
Maksym Kyyk Raup Izrailov |
| -86 kg | Ivan Tolkachev |
Vadym Vlayev |
Domenico Giuliano |
| -91 kg | Andrei Molchanov |
Timur Porsukov |
Jevgeny Evtoshenko Milan Rabrehovic |
| +91 kg | Sergei Arkhipov |
Dragan Jovanovic |
Ivica Perkovic Shammal Gaddgiev |
Overall Medals Standing (Top 5)
| Ranking | Country | Gold  |
Silver  |
Bronze  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
10 | 7 | 13 |
| 2 | Belarus Belarus Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,... |
9 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia... |
6 | 4 | 9 |
| 4 | Morocco Morocco Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara... |
3 | 5 | 5 |
| 5 | France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
3 | 1 | 0 |
See also
- List of WAKO Amateur World Championships
- List of WAKO Amateur European Championships
- List of male kickboxers
- List of female kickboxers
- List of kickboxing organizations