NEARLY 130 participants took part in the Fiji Taekwondo Association’s President’s Cup at the Kshatriya Hall in Suva yesterday.
Young tae kwon do practitioners strut their stuff on the mat in various categories as competition turned out to be robust, intense and full of excitement.
National coach and instructor Neelu Nand commended the efforts of the participants.
“If you see them competing, they are all gearing up. Even the kids, they think they’ve got a spot, they want to build themselves up,” Nand said.
“These guys are going to be the next generation of athletes in the next games, so this is where things begin.”
The high number of participants gave way to two large competition areas inside the expansive hall with clashes taking place on both mats simultaneously.
Meanwhile, with such a high level of intensity and pace in the competition yesterday, Nand noted the provision of an electronic scoring system was a timely boost.
“The seniors are actually getting to use the electronic scoring system for the first time. Some of them have never really seen the scoring system and we’re grateful to Nipesh Prakash for bringing it over from New Zealand,” he mentioned.
“So we’re quite confident in how we’re growing.”
Prakash was also one of the competitors yesterday, competing in blue protective gear against Kavya Kumar in red.
The national coach also commended parents and guardians for turning up to support the youngsters and seniors, stating it was an overwhelming sight to see.
