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MT 7 August 2016

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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 7 AUGUST 2016 Sport 54 KICKBOXING MOTORSPORTS Good performance by "The Speed" Azzopardi in K1 REUBEN AZZOPARDI KEITH Azzopardi (Team Noel) came home with a draw after a K1 match in Sicily. He faced the Italian Cipriani in the Evo- lution Fight competition on a semi-professional level. Both athletes were at the same level where they contin- ued attacking each other un- til the last second. From the first round Azzopardi opened with punching techniques and closed repeatedly with jump- ing kicks. The second half had the same energy and more focus on exe- cuting the technique. Cipriani began working with punches to stop the kicks from the Mal- tese. Azzopardi when finding the right distance retaliated with knee strikes and spinning back fists. The last round was charac- terized by spinning kicks to the head from both Azzopardi and Cipriani to gain the maxi- mum points. Each time one of them hesitated a little he im- mediately got attacked by a barrage of punches. During the three rounds Azzopardi accidentally hit Cipriani with elbow during the spinning fist. Because of this he was given two warnings. In the end the jury's verdict gave a draw to the two athletes. For Azzopardi this match was a preparation for the Glad- iators Night XIV competition which was held last Friday. Azzopardi competed for Title World Kickboxing Network 's (WKN) K1 World Title on a semiprofessional level Barrichello to contest World KZ karting final FORMER Ferrari Formula 1 driver Rubens Barrichello will contest the CIK-FIA World KZ Karting Cham- pionship in Sweden in September. The KZ world title for shifter karts was won by Max Verstappen in 2013 prior to his graduation to cars and Barrichello will contest the event for the Birel ART team. He is not the first driver with F1 experience to enter, with ex-Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari the most recent to compete in 2013. "I am delighted to have accepted the invitation to become part of this great team," said 44-year-old Barrichello. "At 44 years of age, I never thought of competing in a karting championship and when I told my children, they were very enthusias- tic. "I am very much looking forward to racing, also because when I was young I did not have many chances to compete in international races. "It's a great dream which is about to come true. "I'm training a lot and my com- mitment is 100%, just like on the eve of a Formula 1 grand prix." Barrichello was a multiple kart- ing champion in his native Brazil prior to moving into cars, and also finished ninth in the Junior World Championship in 1987. The 11-times grand prix win- ner, who is currently racing in the Stock Car V8 champion in Brazil - a championship he won in 2014 - finished fourth in last year's Rotax Max karting DD2 World Final. "It's a great honour to welcome Rubens Barrichello to the team and I'm very happy to be able to count on him for the CIK-FIA World KZ Championships," said Birel ART technical director Gianluca Beggio. "For Birel ART Racing it will be a great experience and we'll do all we can to ensure that he has a great weekend of racing." Rubens Barrichello

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