Holborn Tigers’ squad of talented martial artists who competed in Croydon

ALL the hard work and practice paid off over the weekend when a top team of Holborn Tigers clawed their way “to great success” at the London Open Taekwondo Championships, which were held in south London.

A super squad of 17 mighty martial artists from across Camden, Islington and Westminster proved a big hit in Shirley, Croydon, as they amassed a grand total of 27 medals – consisting of nine golds, 14 silvers and four bronzes.

Master Rienzi Trento’s charged-up troops showcased their skills in one, or both, key disciplines.

On Saturday they competed in the poomsae, otherwise known as patterns, in which a competitor is judged on their ability to perform a set sequence of movements. A series of “fantastic displays” didn’t go unnoticed by the judges as the Holborn Tigers collected 12 individual medals – helping the club earn a third-place finish in the overall team rankings.

A delighted Master Rienzi Trento with Amelia Das, who struck gold in both the sparring and patterns

Among the youngsters singled out for their performance in the patterns was green belt Britney Gunarathna, who was tipped to become a future world champion by impressed taekwondo grandmasters after winning a gold medal.

Explaining how the talented six-year-old from Somers Town went above and beyond ahead of the championships, Master Rienzi revealed: “I was told by her mum that Britney stayed up until 10pm on Friday learning a more advanced routine, and was then up at 6am practising again on the day of the competition. That kind of passion and determination doesn’t go unnoticed.”

Maximilian and Lilli Babak with their golds

The Tigers returned to the mats on Sunday to test their skills in kyoru – the art of sparring.

Amelia Das and Lilli Babak both won their respective categories to become the only two Tigers at the tournament to strike gold in both their sparring and patterns events.

Amelia, who also lives in Somers Town, said she had to overcome her nerves to land her big win. The nine-year-old green belt with a blue stripe added: “I was a bit nervous and apprehensive before the fight but afterwards I felt great. I was very pleased to have won a gold medal.”

Frank Norozi, who won gold in fighting and silver in patterns

Clubmate Lilli, who lives in Soho and goes to Soho Parish School, said she wanted to produce something memorable.

And the tough 10-year-old red belt certainly delivered as she stopped her opponent with a spectacular jumping kick in the final.

“I wanted to end the fight in a special way so I decided a jumping kick would be a good idea,” said the seasoned champion. “So during the fight I stepped back and ran towards her, jumped up and hit her perfectly.

“Then I heard a shocked ‘wooow’ sound in the room and I knew something special had happened. The fight was then stopped immediately.”

Master Rienzi said he was “extremely proud” of all his martial artists, especially with the way that they managed to “deal with the unknown”.

Teigan Ngumbu, who won gold in fighting and bronze in patterns at the London Open event

The 6th-dan black belt added: “This success wasn’t just about technique and fitness, it was also about focus.

“Every member of the squad had to deal with different personal challenges, from a slight lack of confidence, to adapting to new rules on the day and competing in a new environment.

“In the fighting category, for example, we have always trained for one-and-a-half-minute rounds, but we turned up at the weekend to discover that the fights were two two-minute rounds. That extra 30 seconds in each round is a long time, especially with the humid conditions inside the hall. It was very energy-sapping.

“The kids could certainly feel the heat – you have to remember that they also all had to wear their body armour, which made it even hotter and more uncomfortable. That just makes all of their success even more outstanding. It was truly remarkable.”

Looking ahead, Master Rienzi continued: “Next up is the World Championships in Crawley in September. This was exactly the result we needed before such a big competition.

“It’s really not about the medals, it’s about seeing all the kids stepping up a level and growing in confidence. They are all learning new skills, gaining new experiences and, above all, really enjoying themselves. I’m proud of each and every one of them.”

Medal winners

• Amelia Das, 9, won gold in both fighting and patterns

• Lilli Babak, 10, won gold in both fighting and patterns

• Maximilian Babak, 8, won silver in fighting and gold in patterns

• Frank Norozi, 6, won gold in fighting and silver in patterns

• Teigan Ngumbu, 9, won gold in fighting and bronze in patterns

• Elias Khan, 9, won gold in the para patterns competition

• Samuel de Almeida Plamada, 7, won silver in both fighting and patterns

• Britney Gunarathna (above), 6, won silver in fighting and gold in patterns

• Dillan Das, 6, won silver in both fighting and patterns

• Maisie Underwood, 10, won silver in both fighting and patterns

• Yesemay Desta Young, 8, won silver in fighting

• Ali Khamrayev, 10, won silver in fighting

• Esme Okore, 10, won bronze in fighting

• Jeono Okore, 6, won bronze in fighting

Holborn Tigers’ senior medal winners

• Chandana Gunarathna, 44, won silver in both fighting and patterns

• Stephen Muneyuki Trento, 17, won silver in fighting

• Sahil Khan, 18, won bronze in both fighting and patterns