TaeKwondo team from Paarl conquers Asia
2005-10-27
OUTSTANDING performances by local TaeKwondo fighters ensured that a team from Paarl won four individual and one team tile at the World Championship in Korea.
The 12 member Action Sports TaeKwondo team from Paarl coached by International Master Instructor JP Camara, had some great achievements at the World Warrior TaeKwondo Championships, in which a total of 45 countries participated over six gruelling days.
The team claimed the first place in the Self-Defence category after beating Korea in the finals.
In doing so the South African team consisting of Helmuth Kisting, Sakhe Maseti, Alezandro Camara, Ryan Muller (captain), Rene' Bellardi, Vernon Madondo and Dominique Bouckaert retained the title for the second consecutive year.
Muller won gold in the senior male creative forms division after beating both Japan and Korea in the final. He followed this up with a solid performance in the martial arts division, earning him the Most Valuable Player Trophy.
Sixteen-year-old pupil of Noorder Paarl Secondary Sakhe Maseti was calm and collected during his rounds even though his opponents tried everything to topple the young South African.
Sakhe’s focus was daunting to say the least.
After thrashing his Vietnamese opponent in the first round, he then went on to beat a very strong Chinese counterpart in a sudden death victory.
Finally Sakhe proved just too hungry for his Korean opponent in the final match and his five point victory brought the stadium to life earning the Paarlite the Junior Light Middle Weight World Championship title.
The superb technique, power and flamboyant execution of Ashton Davis (17) totally overwhelmed her competition and she secured the gold in both the junior female traditional and creative forms divisions.
Davis also won a silver medal in the fighting category, losing to the Korean champion in the final.
In spite of being the rookie of the team the extremely fit Dominique Bouckaert (22) did a superb job in outwitting her Korean opponent in the final fight of the Senior Female Bantam Weight category.
Bouckaert won the hearts of the crowd with her indomitable spirit in the final round after turning a 5-1 deficit around and beating her Korean opponent 7-6.
Anthor individual medal went to Rene' Bellardi who took a third place in the Junior Male Creative Forms division.
The team was represented by students from Boland, Western Cape and Gauteng.
More
News
|
