A 17-year-old student from Crete became the kickboxing world champion.

The teenager who lives in Poros Heraklion is an up-and-coming athlete in the field of martial arts and combat sports. His last feat saw him conquer top honours on the global stage after his successes on a national and European level. Gerland Geka, a 3rd high school student, managed to come out first in the world ranking of Junior kickboxing, and more specifically in the light contact and kick light categories.

He spoke to the local outlet “New Crete”, where he described his sports career, starting from an early age. “I started combat sports from a young age. I started Greco-Roman wrestling. I did tae-kwon-do and in recent years I’ve been doing kickboxing.”

He spoke, among other things, about his goals: “Personally, I want to stay at the same level after the World Championship. I want to reach high. I have big goals and I believe in myself. In the last weeks before I took part in the world championships I did 13-14 hours of training to be as ready as possible.”

Speaking about the recipe for success, he asserted: “The secret is to listen to the coach. Don’t worry and believe in yourself. I know how to manage my anxiety and at the same time I believe in my physical and mental strength.”

In 2022, Gerald Geka achieved amazing records as he became the Greek national and European kickboxing champion, as well as in tae-kwon-do. His resume is amazing. He is also a 3rd high school student. This year he will take nationwide entry exams for a position in the Higher Educational Institution.