ASHWIN BALRAK has vowed to keep laying down the law in the kickboxing ring as he strives to break into K-1.
The fighting solicitor celebrated the eve of his 34th birthday with an extra round points defeat of Bjorn
Bregy in Amsterdam at the weekend and is poised for a swift return to action when he boxes in Kazan, Russia next Wednesday.
The Suriname-born veteran won a K-1 rules tournament in Prague last December, although it was not a qualifier
for the Final 16 Eliminations later this year.
But the former 76 kilo fighter, who combines combat sport duty with a full-time job as a legal representative,
still hopes to crack the kickboxing big time in the twilight of his career and says all he can do is maintain his winning
momentum.
"Prague wasn't a qualification tournament and it was a pity because I'm now 34 and I hope I get one more
last chance to prove what I can do," said Balrak, who is trained by Dutch compatriot Ernesto Hoost.
"This is one of my last two years I think maybe. It's very difficult to get in the K-1, it's a political
game but we will see.
"It's my final goal because I'm also working as a lawyer and I get very busy in my office in Amsterdam.
"As long as I get a chance to prove myself and I win the fights it's easier to get in the K-1.
"My Russia fight is in a tournament. I fought and won the first time, now I'm in the quarter-final and if
I win this one the final is in October or something."
Balrak's second victory over Bregy marked an 18th win from 22 fights since he made his heavyweight debut
in June 2005.
"It was too difficult for me to make weight before," he explained. "I was always in the sauna and what's
after 76 kilos, 85?
"It's not interesting, so I moved to heavyweight like Tyrone Spong is doing."
After an uneventful and tied opening three rounds, Balrak went to town on an exhausted Bregy in the extra
round of their It's Showtime fight, with the towering Swiss taking an eight count in the closing seconds.
A delighted Balrak revealed he played some mind games on his much taller and heavier opponent with
the result in the balance.
"I'm very pleased to get the win, it was the perfect birthday present and I wanted to knock him out but
he was saved by the bell," he said.
"My coach told me I had to knock him out earlier and I didn't listen to the instruction.
"So I was happy with the extra round so I could show the public that I can do something.
"I wasn't really concerned he would get the decision. I know I didn't do enough to win but he also didn't,
so I thought it was a draw.
"I told him before the extra round started: 'You're tired and I'm going to get you!'
"I said: 'Do you have enough condition?' He said: 'Yeah' and I said: 'We'll see!'"
Balrak says the dual demands of his job and and using fists and feet - although not easy to juggle
- are alike and he revels in his hectic schedule.
"Being a fighter and a lawyer is quite similar. It's both fighting," he said.
"One time I fight in the ring and the other time I fight for my clients.
"You have to fight, you have to convince and you have to win.
"I do a full week at work and then I have to train, so it's heavy but I like it.
"As long as I enjoy it I will keep on doing it."
And Balrak's coach, four-time K-1 champion Hoost, feels the ringwise fighter from Rotterdam has got what
it takes to make a dent in K-1 if their perseverance gets him there.
Hoost added: “I have to talk with the Japanese people and negotiate as always.
“If he can get there I think he will have a lot of good possibilities.
“The top rank in K-1 are all good fighters so he has to show that he is at least at that level and
I think he can.
“But then we have to train even harder and he has to be sharper.
“Bjorn is not a top class fighter, he is like a middle class.
“So you have to step up and with guys like Bjorn you have to be able to handle them.
“The first three rounds he was a little bit too flat in my opinion but then he won against a bigger
opponent, so he got the job done."
