More behind Hall’s second crack at Pan Am Champs
Published:Sunday | June 19, 2022 | 12:12 AMDaniel Wheeler - Gleaner Writer
WITH ADDED motivation and improved technique, mixed martial artist Imran ‘Fyah’ Hall says that he is targeting nothing less than a gold medal at this year’s Pan American Championships in Monterrey, Mexico.
Hall, who competes in the lightweight division, left the island on Friday as he finalises his preparation for the start of his campaign on Wednesday, hoping to improve on his 2019 experience when he advanced from the opening round.
It will be his first fight since 2019 as the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a hiatus. Hall says that he has benefited from the experience in the time since and ensured that despite the challenges of the pandemic, he stayed resolute in his training, finding ways to evolve.
“I am more advanced than I was in 2019 with my striking, ground game. I have been working on my striking a lot. So I am ready for this year,” Hall told The Sunday Gleaner.
“During COVID-19 I was training on my own. I have been doing cardio work and strength training. I had to make sure that my technique was up the same way. So during the lockdown, I was training and staying ready until my time comes.”
He hopes that the time has come for him in Mexico this year where he will be the lone Jamaican in the field, just as he was in 2019.
While the road back to the Pan American Championships has been difficult because of the pandemic, Hall said he is more motivated to perform this year because of the support that his family has given him.
“The discipline towards the sport (has kept me going) and my family has given me that drive to continue to train hard and put in the work the same way. You need to have a strong mentality towards the sport,” Hall said.
“My four daughters, my wife, my parents, they are the ones that give me that drive to continue training. It’s like I’m fighting for my family.”
“Right now I am going for the gold. Anybody that is coming in my way, it’s a problem. That’s why I have been training so hard for this,” Hall said.
“Because it is the gold medal that I am going for.”