Wanted: One large trophy cabinet for Liverpool club

Jun 6 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

INSTRUCTORS at Liverpool Tae Kwon-Do are going to have to invest in a new trophy cabinet.

The titles and medals just keep on rolling in after triple success at the English, Welsh and European Championships.

The club, which has three centres in West Derby, Kensington and Halewood, saw students competing against the finest in European competition but more than managed to hold their own in the various classes.

A haul of 16 trophies was on the team coach from the Welsh event staged in late May, with the club’s juniors, and in particular the Calland family, excelling.

Nine-year-old twins Josh and Ethan Calland won silver and bronze in the Boys Yellow Belt Sparring division while 10-year-old Connor Johnson caught the eye in his first tournament taking bronze in Boys Green Belt Sparring.

The three boys then joined forces for the tag team sparring event winning silver.

Proud dad Eddie Calland, 39, was quick to add to the success of his twins, winning silver in the Mens Yellow Belt Heavyweight Sparring division.

Callum Gough, 11, added to the junior medal haul winning silver for Boys Red Belt Patterns, while Leigh Yoxall, 16, achieved a rare gold double for team sparring and bronze for individual sparring in the Yellow & Green Belt division.

Elsewhere Stefanie Foster, 26, led the seniors with gold in Ladies Red Belt Sparring and silver in Ladies Red Belt Patterns while Lucy Sanders, 26, won silver in Ladies Yellow Belt Sparring.

At the 2008 European Championships held in Cork, Ireland, West Derby instructor and England squad member Jay McGinn, achieved third in the Mens Black Belt Light-Heavyweight Sparring.

Jay, a Black Belt third Dan and former British Champion, adds his bronze to the World Championship bronze he scooped late last year.

Scottish team representative Katie Elliott went one better in the Ladies Black Belt Lightweight Sparring taking second as well as third in the Ladies Black Belt Team Sparring.

The 24-year-old’s success comes off the back of becoming the 2007 British Champion as well as part of the ladies team that took home bronze at the 2005 World Championships.

Meanwhile it was not just the club’s elite athletes that were celebrating success at the 2008 English Championships, as first-timers came back to Liverpool with medals and smiles on their faces.

Sixteen students took part at the Nottingham Arena, and as spokesperson, Stef Foster commented, there was even more reason to celebrate.

“Everyone fought well to bring an impressive haul of 13 trophies back to Liverpool – including two gold, five silver and eight bronze,” said Stef, who herself took silver in Ladies Red Belt Middleweight Sparring.

She added: “Katie Elliott added to her European success by claiming gold in Ladies Black Belt Lightweight Sparring, and 25-year-old Will Priestley won the club’s only other gold in Mens Black Belt Patterns, as well as bronze in Mens Black Belt Lightweight Sparring.”

But there was great delight for the club’s younger competitors as Mark Bibby, 14, won silver in Cadet Male Yellow/Green Belt Lightweight Sparring. Samantha Foster, 16, claimed bronze in Cadet Female Blue Belt Heavyweight Sparring; and Richard Manley, 16 fought hard to take silver in Cadet Male Blue Belt Heavyweight Sparring.

Stef added: “There were several first-timers all of whom made their instructors proud with some superb performances.

“Leanne Connolly achieved bronze in Ladies Yellow Belt Heavyweight Sparring, while fellow student Lucy Sanders achieved bronze in Ladies Yellow Belt Lightweight Sparring, as well as silver in Ladies Yellow Belt Patterns.”

The girls then teamed up with Lucy’s sister Alice Sanders, 20, for the tournament's Tag team Sparring event, calling themselves ‘The Fighting Scousers.’ They were up against some tough and more experienced opposition, but the three girls fought very well to achieve the bronze.

Elsewhere Gareth Price, 25, achieved bronze in Mens Yellow Belt Midleweight Sparring, with West Derby instructor Jay McGinn, 32, also brought home the silverware, achieving silver in Mens Black Belt Light-Heavyweight Sparring.

Liverpool Tae Kwon-Do is a member of the Tae Kwon-Do Association of Great Britain (TAGB), and has classes in Halewood, Kensington and West Derby. Further details can be found at http://www.liverpool-taekwondo.co.nr/