The Confederation of Angolan Associations in the United Kingdom (CAARU) has announced the appointment of Edgelson Ficher Rafael Lua as the new Secretary for Cultural Action, Youth and Sport, following its recent organizational restructuring.
Edgelson Ficher Rafael Lua, single and 39 years old, is an Angolan national born in Sumbe, municipality of the same name, in Cuanza Sul Province. He is widely recognized for his extensive background in sports, particularly in martial arts. He holds black belts in Taekwondo and Karate Kai, as well as a second-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, with additional experience in Judo, Boxing, Muay Thai, Wrestling and MMA. He is also a qualified personal trainer.
His sporting journey began in Angola, in Luanda, where he trained Judo at Escola Nginga and Taekwondo at Anangola Ingombotas. He launched his professional MMA career in the United Kingdom in 2007, making his debut at Cage Rage – Contenders 7 on 10 November 2007, in London. A major highlight of his career came on 7 March 2015, when he was crowned world champion in the welterweight division at the event GOTA – Gods of the Arena 2, held in Grays, Essex.
Currently, Edgelson Lua serves as the head Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach at the London School of Economics (LSE) and is also an MMA and Jiu-Jitsu coach at Academia Nova Força.
CAARU believes that Edgelson Ficher Rafael Lua’s experience, discipline and leadership will play a key role in strengthening cultural, youth and sports initiatives within the Angolan community in the United Kingdom.