BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THREE of St. Kitts-Nevis’ young taekwondo athletes will be returning victorious this evening (Mar. 15) from the Los Gallitos Olimpicos Taekwondo Tournament in Puerto Rico, having won six medals at the two day event.
Held from March 13-14, the tournament featured highly competitive sportsmen and women from Puerto Rico, the United States, Barbados, Columbia, Mexico, Martinique, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Aruba.
The Federation’s team featured Raheem Berry, 15, Kachiana Robin, 14, and Kadisha Glasgow, 10.
Each athlete took a medal in the Poomsae (forms) and Gyerugi (sparring) categories for their divisions, with yellow belt with green stripe Glasgow picking up a gold and silver, green belt Berry taking two silvers and red belt Robin bringing home a silver and a bronze.
Though each of the athletes has competed in local tournaments hosted by the St. Christopher and Nevis Taekwondo Federation (SCNTF), the Los Gallitos Olimpicos was an international debut for each of them.
According to Master Lincoln David, who traveled with the athletes to Puerto Rico, sending the youths to their first international tournament helped to “give our athletes as much international competition experience as possible, show the people in the Federation that Taekwondo is alive and kicking and of course bring home medals!”
A release issued by the SCNTF stated their pleasure with the excellent performance of the athletes, who have managed to build on the three bronze medals that were brought home in 2008 from Aruba.
A special thanks was extended to all of the parents who helped to make the trip possible.
For the SCNTF, the strong presence at the tournament bodes well for their 2010 season as they aim to raise the profile of taekwondo in St. Kitts-Nevis through a “very aggressive and ambitious” schedule of events.
This schedule includes the hosting of six local tournaments and a continued presence at international events, all of which continues to build toward the 2012 Olympic Games in London where the St. Kitts-Nevis Olympic Committee has stated its hope of fielding the nation’s first taekwondo team.
