Mid Ulster Taekwon-Do kids take on the world in Edinburgh - and win 17 medals!

The 20-strong team travelled to Edinburgh to represent Northern Ireland, led by head coach of UKTCNI, Leo Maguire.

The competition took place over ten hours, on eight mats simultaneously, with medals awarded for special techniques, individual and team patterns and individual and team sparring events, in various age, belt and height divisions. Most of the talented youngsters competed in five different events each, throughout the day. In total, the Northern Ireland team won 48 medals, made up of twenty-eight gold, twelve silver and eight bronze medals.

Ruby Catherwood, age 11, from Maghera has been studying Taekwon-Do since the tender age of four. She achieved the greatest success at the weekend, coming 8th overall, out of a field of nearly 300 competitors, representing 35 different Taekwon-Do schools. Ruby earned three gold medals and the title of ITF World Champion in individual patterns, individual sparring, team sparring and a further bronze medal in team patterns.

James Curtis, age 11, from Magherafelt, took up Taekwon-Do just three years ago, but has already progressed to blue belt. He claimed the World Championship titles in individual sparring and team patterns.

He was joined in the pattern competition by Daniel Shivers, age 10, from Magherafelt and Fiachra Duggan, age 12, from Lavey. Fiachra also claimed the bronze medal in individual sparring.

The plucky trio went on to fight tough competition in the team sparring event and were making great progress, until an injury sustained in the semi-final meant they had to withdraw from the final and forego their chance of another World Championship title, taking home silver medals instead.

But all was not lost for Mid Ulster, as Cookstown youngster, Bradley Rodgers, age 13, was on the gold medal winning team. Bradley added this to the silver medal he’d already achieved in the individual sparring event.

Mollie-Rose Brady, age 14, from Clonoe was delighted to win two gold medals, in individual sparring and team patterns, in the 14 to 17 age group.

Ciaran Óg Heaney, age 13, earned a silver medal in the individual sparring event, following in the footsteps of his two older brothers and one sister who have achieved World Championship success at previous tournaments.