Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao is alarmed with the recent performance of one his prized wards, Edward "The Ferocious" Kelly, and he plans to let him know about.
Kelly was dominated by Tang Kai at ONE: AGE OF DRAGONS last Saturday, 16 November at the Cadillac Arena in Beijing, China, dropping his third match in four attempts.
"I have to talk with him, he needs to be hungry once more," Sangiao said.
“This cannot be. I am not seeing improvements. He needs to improve or else he will continue to struggle in his career.”
For the soft-spoken mentor, he just wants to know if Kelly’s heart is still in it because the team will always go all-out for him.
In preparation for Tang, the entire Team Lakay prepared the 35-year-old for his final match of the year, which is why Sangiao was surprised to see Kelly perform the way he did.
“We need to talk to him about it. I want to know if his heart is still in it. He also has to consider that everyone around him is also doing their part. His teammates are also sacrificing for him,” Sangiao said.
“Although this is an individual sport, you will not survive if you’re alone. It’s unfair to the partners, trainers, and everyone doing their part.”
Sangiao did explain that Kelly has been hounded with commitments outside of the Circle, and that is why his focus has been split as of late.
Now, it’s up to Kelly to decide what he wants to pursue moving forward.
“You’ll see that he lost his hunger. I’ve seen a lot of things and of course I’d point that out to him. It also reflects in training sessions. In there, you’ll see if one is still interested and dedicated to winning,” Sangiao said.
“I think his other obligations are also getting in the way because I believe that if you’re on this level, sacrifices have to be made.”
ONE Championship returns to the Lion City for one last time this year with ONE: EDGE OF GREATNESS on 22 November at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Watch all the action for free by downloading the ONE Super App.