Yulia Sachkov, a 21-year old from Haifa, won the gold medal in the World Kickboxing Championship held in Bosnia this past week. Sachkov competed in K-1 style of kickboxing against her Czech opponent in the under 52 kilograms weight class. Excited for the win after spending six days a week, five hours a day training, Sachkov celebrated, sending out a social media message proudly holding the Israeli flag stating “I am a WORLD CHAMPION.”
The petite Israeli moved to Israel from Kazakhstan as a child. She began taking krav maga classes when she was 14 years old, and has since found her love of the fight. Using the foundation of krav maga as a defense system, Sachkov has competed in various fighting championships, from taekwondo to MMA to grappling, until she chose kickboxing as her focus. Her tagline is “born to fight and born to win.”
Two Israelis from Tiberias, Shir Cohen, 19, won the silver medal in the same weight class and KL style kickboxing, and Daniella Pashayev, 18, won the silver medal in the under 48-kilogram weight class for K-1 style kickboxing.
