The Guyana Taekwondo Association promises to intensify its training programme for both its junior and senior athletes who are expected to represent the association at several overseas tournaments this year.
The association has already selected Farhaad Bacchus to represent Guyana at the 15th Pan American championships billed for July 15-19 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Moreover, the association’s junior and senior athletes would be participating in the Caribbean championships slated for Aruba in August.
The association has branches in Linden and Georgetown and conducts classes for both children and adults in various aspects of Taekwondo at the GTU hall.
Meanwhile the Guyana Taekwondo Association recently held its 2nd Dando Cup Championships at the Guyana Teachers Union Hall, Woolford Avenue.
These championships were coordinated by Master Danny Rajjab of Canada, who was also the sponsor of the tournament and presided as a judge. Master Rajjab of Dando Sports Canada, with his vast knowledge of tournaments also represented Guyana at the 1995 Pan American Games where he secured a bronze medal in the heavyweight category.
The 2nd Dando championships were both for Gyrugi (combat) and Poomse (forms). The athletes came from various divisions. In the junior boys’ division, Feizal Amin won both the Gyrugi and Poomse titles with Anthony Chan-A-Sue placing second. In the senior boys’ category for combat fighting, Orlando Van Rossum was first, Brian Woolford second and Andre Blenman and Brian Woolford third jointly.
In the senior male one category for combat, Farhaad Bacchus won from Marcello Ferreira and Ryan Soares.
The junior male combat category was won by Hewley Clarke. Second was Andre Arjune. Alim Azimullah won the senior male category 11 combat from Linton Leitch. Dennis Edghill and Nandalal Arjune were joint third-place winners.
In the female combat one category Angela Bardon was first, Naiomie Samuels second and LaToya Herbert third.
For the poomse, in the intermediate category, Van Rossum was first, Clarke second and Ferreira third.
In the junior male division, Soares was first, Leitch placed second, while Imtaz Ali and Edghill were joint third place winners.
In the senior male division, Azimullah won from Nandalal Arjune and Farhaad Bacchus respectively.
Brandon also won the Poomse for females with Herbert second.
