Warwick Taekwondo impress in Worcester

The biggest tournament of the year for Warwick Taekwondo – the British Student Taekwondo Federation competition – saw 13 Team Warwick competitors head to Worcester to compete in both ITF and WTF styles. Winning a total of 11 medals over the two days, this was a challenge Team Warwick rose to spectacularly, especially the many beginners who had never encountered a competition of this scale before.

highlight of the day was B class fighter Ming Xiu winning fight after fight to go on to take a gold medal, an incredible achievement at such a high profile event

With a 6am start and a long drive to Worcester the day began sleepily, but spirits were running high, with our competitors winning medals across all categories, from new C class fighters all the way up to A class. A highlight of the day was B class fighter Ming Xiu winning fight after fight to go on to take a gold medal, an incredible achievement at such a high profile event. The day as a whole was an incredible experience even for those who weren’t competing.

As well as seeing amazing fighters show off their sparring skills, there were freestyle patterns, an impressive spectacle where competitors were able to show off both their skill and creativity in patterns of their own creation. Day one ended with us going home with a total of 7 medals, and getting a good night’s sleep before returning for the WTF competition on day two.

With a smaller team, day two had a quieter start for Team Warwick but that didn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm or determination as we went in. Once again Warwick proved a force to be reckoned with, picking up medals across the board, with the main part of the day ending on a high for team captain Kamal Deris, making it into the A class finals beating off often bigger and more experienced opponents to take silver.

After his achievement, Kamal reflected on a tremendous day for him personally, and the club: ‘It was not only an exhilarating experience to watch everyone perform at such a professional and elite level but it made me feel proud to be a part of the Warwick Taekwondo family. An absolutely fantastic effort from everyone involved.’