A twelve-member team from the Harpy Eagle Martial Arts Academy of Beterverwagting under the leadership of Sensei Troy Bobb left Guyana on Tuesday to compete in the Third Annual Pan Caribbean Martial Arts Championships in Trinidad and Tobago from October 20- 21.
The event will be held at the University of the West Indies Sports Complex in Port-of-Spain.
Bobb, a third degree black belt holder and a previous winner at both the regional and world championships, told Stabroek Sport that the local team, which includes another third degree black belt holder, Donna Thompson, and second degree black belt, Ryan Hassell, reflected a blend of youth and experience. Bobb told Stabroek Sport that while some members of the team would be facing international competition for the first time, he had no doubt that all of the local competitors would give a good account of themselves in the twin-island republic. “Frankly, we expect that our team will feature on the winners’ rostrum,” Bobb told Stabroek Sport.
According to Bobb, the team was also looking forward to benefiting from the October 19 seminar and from participating in the launch of the Caribbean Martial Arts Alliance which would be the largest Martial Arts Association in the region. The Caribbean Martial Arts Alliance will be run by a team of regional and international Grandmasters.
Bobb also disclosed that preparations are already underway for the participation of the Harpy Eagle Academy in the 2007-2006 World Championships.
According to Bobb, the Academy intends to publicly thank the various local sponsors who helped to ensure the team’s participation in the regional tournament.
He added, however, that even before the team left for the tournament, he wanted to express its gratitude to the residents of Beterverwagting, Triumph, Mon Repos, LBI and other neighboring communities whose contributions set the team on the road to Trinidad and Tobago.
The regional tournament, which is being held as a pre-qualifier for 2007-2008 North American Federation of Martial Arts 2007 World Champion-ships, will include a one-day seminar with International Caribbean Grandmasters which will be held at the Eastern Regional Sports Complex in Tacarigua.
