On October 31, Zhao Honggang suffered a severe facial injury while competing in the World Slapping Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photos of the Chinese athlete’s swollen eye quickly spread online and raised concerns about his condition. It was Zhao’s competition debut.
Created by UFC President Dana White, the Power Slap is a contest where two competitors take turns slapping each other with maximum force.
According to his profile, Zhao is the first Asian athlete from China to sign with Power Slap. The 35-year-old is a ninth-generation heir to the traditional Qijiatong back-fist martial arts form.
While Zhao later clarified that he did not suffer a concussion after the dramatic knockout, he did suffer a minor fracture to his cheekbone. He needed five stitches around his eye socket.
“I just had some stitches around my eye socket. An imaging scan showed that I didn’t have a concussion. I’m fine now. Thank you for your support,” the South China Morning Post quoted Zhao as telling his fans on social media.
Zhao faced Kazakhstan’s Mukhammed Amantayev. During the third round, a heavy slap knocked him to the ground in obvious pain. Zhao later revealed on social media that hospital tests confirmed there was no concussion. His eye was left badly bruised.
Power Slap CEO Frank Lamicella previously said that Chinese athletes have great potential in the competition. He referred to them as making “iron palms”. They are known to bend an iron key with bare handed slaps.
Many social media users believe that the Chinese athlete lost the game because he followed the rules.
“A direct hit to the carotid artery, is that legit?” one of them asked.
“Zhao lost the game but won the honor,” wrote another.
Another wrote: “Please give Zhao a fairer match; the man deserved better. Was hoping to see him again.”
One of them was named Zhao “Lionheart”.
First Indian in Power Slap
Jujhar Singh, also known as Tiger, had earlier become the first Indian to win an international Power Slap title. This marked a landmark for Indian martial arts.
The 28-year-old athlete hails from Chamkaur Sahib in Punjab’s Ropar district. He comes from a humble farming family in the village of Karura.
His journey started with wrestling and kabaddi in school. He then moved to Mohali for specialized training. He trained for over a year.
Jujhar claimed victory in his debut bout at the Abu Dhabi event on 24 October. He defeated Russian heavyweight Anatoly Galushka in a tough three-round contest.
Galushka controlled the opening round with clean punches. Furious slap in round two left from Singh with a cut over his right eye. Still, Singh refused to break.
Jujhar came back with sharp, controlled strikes in the final round. He forced a unanimous decision in his favor. He was seen doing bhangra after winning the competition.
