~Returns with 36 medals ~
MIDDLE REGION—Twenty four young athletes age six to 18 and one adult from the King Yen Tae Kwon Do School of Middle region, won 15 gold, 17 silver and four bronze medals at the 23rd Puerto Rico International Tae kwon do Open Championship in Puerto Rico on the weekend.
The Friendly Island team also received the Outstanding International team Award. The team expected a joyous celebration on their return to St. Maarten. The celebrations and athletes were delayed.
“We board at 2:00pm and the plane was ready to leave,” said grand master and head coach of the St. Maarten Delegation Theo Liu. “All of a sudden the computer informed the pilots that the front wheel was not working.”
The plan was delayed five hours.
A total of 632 athletes from Aruba, Barbados, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, St. Croix, St. Thomas, United States, Surinam, Venezuela, host Puerto Rico and St. Maarten’s 25 competed in both sparing and forms.
Earning a gold medal in Forms and silver in sparing were Younes Azbouni, Tyrell Pantophlet, Shane Shamdeo, Lee-Ann Liu and Justin Wilson.
Earning a silver medal in forms and silver in sparing were Destiny Washington and Mira Raghosing.
Ajani Destin and Mekhi Holaman won bronze medals in forms and went on to take gold in sparring while Emelius Rey took bronze in forms and silver in sparring.
The adult member of the team, Black belt Detroy earned a gold medal in forms.
Gold medals went to Mahelia Gadishaw, Adan Mathew, Marcellius Mathew, Tyrone Washington, Micheal Helliger and Kiara Williams in sparring.
Yaniek Patrick won a gold and silver in sparring.
Sparring silver went to Owen Christian, Joey Narducci, Crystal Narducci, Angelique Helliger, Alisia Helliger and Maalik Richardson.
Francky Helliger earned a bronze medal in sparring.
“Our athletes learned a lot, especially the changes in the international rules and scoring of points,” said Grandmaster Liu. “We had four “sudden deaths” that our athletes lost on a narrow escape.”
Liu added the trip was made possible by the support of NAGICO, Euro Caribbean Linkup N.V., Oriental Caribbean Insurances (OCI), Travel Planners, Gulf Insurances, Guardian Group – Fatum N.V. and Intermar.
