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Sports

Kickboxing

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History

Kickboxing finds in roots in Portugal in 1975. Designated as a full-contact sport, the inspiration for the sport in Portugal came from Masters Carlos Ranjanali and António Duarte.

The first national competitions and international showings by Portuguese athletes came in 1977, organised by the Portuguese Full-Contact Association.

In 1983, Portugal won its first bronze medal in the World Championships, courtesy of Carlos Ranjanali fighting in London. A silver medal for João Freitas followed in 1985, along with Fernando Jaime’s European Championship gold in 1986. In 1988, Carlos Ranjanali, Carlos Lobo, Carlos Cunha, Manuel Teixeira, João Freitas and Joaquim Lourenço founded the Portuguese Kickboxing and Full-Contact Federation in Figueira da Foz.