2019 News Archive
Annual Joint Meeting of Executive Council and Club Heads
28 December 2019 ST. JAMES, Barbados - The Annual Joint meeting of the Executive Council and Club Heads took place on 28 December 2019 at the "Pannex" facility of the NCF. The customary purpose was to review the Strategic Plan, review the 2019 Year, and agree on the calendar of events for the coming year. Inputs and contributions were made from members of the Executive Council, and representatives from Burnett Taekwondo Academy & UWI Taekwondo; Taekwondo Warriors; Boardbreakers Taekwondo; Barbados Taekwondo Titans; Williams Taekwondo Dojang and Robust Taekwondo Academy. As we look forward to 2020 the Association takes this opportunity to wish everyone a healthy and Happy New Year! |
|
Taekwondo Demonstration at BiiG Closing Ceremony
18 December 2019 ST. MICHAEL, Barbados - The Association held a Taekwondo Demonstration during the Closing Ceremony of the Annual Barbados Olympic Association Independence Invitational Games (BiiG). The crowd on hand featured representatives from various National Sporting Federations and various Officials from the NOC and other organizations, including President of the BOA - Ms Sandra Osborne, Secretary General of the BOA - Mr. Erskine Simmons, BiiG LOC Chair - Mr. Cammie Burke, and Chairman of the National Sports Council - Mr. Mac Fingall. The crowd showed appreciation with generous applause as the presentation featured exciting aspects of Taekwondo including: distance and power- board-breaking; Self-defense; simultaneous Poomsae (patterns) whilst demonstrating aspects of Taekwondo Training and various kicks and hand techniques. Kudos were extended to the members from Burnett Taekwondo Academy, Taekwondo Warriors, UWI Taekwondo and Williams Taekwondo Dojang who featured in the presentations on the night. In addressing the gathering President Turton explained to the crowd what they were witnessing in each segment of the presentation and he also pointed to the event being part of efforts of the organization to be more visible, since they are various aspects of the Sport which are still relatively unfamiliar locally. Taekwondo featured the only form of entertainment on the evening and the TAB was grateful to the BOA and the BIIG LOC for facilitating the event. Live coverage of the closing ceremony was carried on the Facebook page of the BOA. |
Robust Taekwondo Academy Concludes its First Grading
14 December 2019 ST. JAMES, Barbados - On 14 December 2019 TAB's newest Club Member concluded its first official Grading. The Examination was held at the Club's Training facility at the "Pannex" of the National Cultural Foundation in West Terrace, St. James. Sitting in on the Grading as an additional Assessor was National 3rd Dan, Instructor, National Player and Club Head of Taekwondo Warriors - Mr. Askia Alleyne. He expressed how "impressed" he was with the quality of the Grading and the proficiency and awareness of the students who graded, whilst offering additional words of advice. All students were awarded Certificates, whilst three of them were awarded their Yellow Belts and one person was awarded Green Tip. Congratulations were extended to the successful examinees along with Club Head Mr. Henderson Turton. |
|
Robust Taekwondo Academy becomes the Newest TAB Member Club!
1 December 2019 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - On 1st December 2019 the Executive Council of the Taekwondo Association of Barbados passed a Resolution to approve the Membership Application of Robust Taekwondo Academy for recognition as a Member of the Association. Vice President Dr. Leo Brewster, expressed congratulations to the Club and its Program Director Mr. Henderson Turton. He noted the importance of the new Club to the growth of the Sport and the Association and wished it success in its endeavours. |
New Members of the Executive Council Following the 31 October 2019 Annual General Meeting
- 1 November 2019 released 17 December 2019 The appointment of Ms. Carol Ann Kellman as Secretary General of the Taekwondo Association of Barbados was ratified at yesterday's Annual General Meeting. Following the three person contest for the two (2) Director positions on Council, Ms. Renee Best was re-elected for another two-year Term, whilst Ms. Tempu Nefertari was newly-elected and replaced outgoing Ms. Marlo Hunte. Ms. Hunte gave her congratulations to the new Board and pledged here continued support for the Association as she will continue to serve as a member of the Media Relations Committee. Also extending congratulations and best wishes to the New Executive Council were President of the Barbados Olympic Association, Ms. Sandra Osborne, along with General Manager of the BOA, Mr. Glyne Clarke. |
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Notice is given that the Taekwondo Association of Barbados will be hosting its Annual General Meeting [AGM] on Thursday 31 October 2019, 5:30 p.m. at the "Pannex" facility of the National Cultural Foundation, West Terrace, St. James. If your membership information is not current please contact your Club Head and the Secretariat - [email protected]. released via email and published 10 October 2019 |
|
NSC 2019 Concludes with Campers successfully undertaking Taekwondo Grading
18 August 2019 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - After six (6) weeks of full day Training, participants from the 2019 National Sports Council Summer Camp undertook a formal Grading to have their skills and proficiency formally assessed. Assisting Camp Instructors with the Grading were National Referee Committee Chair, Mr. Ken Harewood and 2017 WT President's Cup Gold Medalist Liana Best-Smith. All the Campers were successful in the Examination and were awarded with Certificates from the National Association for their efforts. It is hoped that the Campers can go on to join one of the Association's member Clubs to continue the journeys they have started in Taekwondo. |
2019 NSC Summer Camp Continues
14 August 2019 released 11 Oct 2019 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - The small ratio of Campers to Instructors continued the translation of a full experience for participants as the National Sports Council - Taekwondo Association of Barbados 2019 Summer Camp continued at the Millar Bulding in Bridgetown. Over the last few weeks campers have learned new skills and developed their proficiency under the guidance of Instructors Messrs Kevin Small, Adrian Burnett and Chetwyn Gilkes. Visitations from additional adult and senior practitioners during the Camp lent to a rich experienced for the campers who expressed their enjoyment. They demonstrated nice progress on Wednesday when President Turton arrived unannounced to observe the Camp activities and engage the Supervisor from the National Sports Council. The Campers will have a formal Grading on Sunday 18 August 2019. |
|
Barbados in Action in the Men's 80+ kg Kyorugi at 2019 Pan American Games
29 July 2019 LIMA, Peru - Competing for Barbados against Canada, Askia Alleyne gave a full effort and played hard during his contest in Lima. Alleyne was in peak condition mentally and had come a long way physically on the road to preparation for the Games having lost more than fifty pounds over the previous nine months. When the match started Alleyne was on the attack early having made the decision to "go hard" at his opponent - Jordan Stewart. Though much younger than Alleyne his opponent was far more experienced playing at the International Level and was ranked in the top-100 in the World. He played a more patient and smarter game than Alleyne and waited on Alleyne for his opportunities to score. The match ended in the third round from points gap and the 24-4 result was not in Alleyne's favour. It was however a great learning experience for Alleyne. Meanwhile, the crowd on hand in the arena showed how they felt about seeing Barbados compete at this level for the first time in an extremely long time. When Canada exited the arena it became clear the generous applause that remained was for Barbados as no other athletes were on the stage. The fist-pumps, nods and fresh applause from the crowd allowed Alleyne and Turton to lift their heads up, and know that they had done well to just have been there, and had done credit to their nation in the eyes of the Peruvian crowd by the way they played despite the final scoreline. |
Taekwondo Team announced among Contingent of Sports to represent Barbados at 2019 Pan American Games
27 July 2019 released 11 October 2019 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - The Technical Technical Commission of the Barbados Olympic Association Inc (BOA) has ratified the final delegation to represent Barbados at the Pan American Games in Lima Peru from July 24 - August 11, 2019. Continue reading ... Report Extracted from BOA Website |
Taekwondo Team arrives safely to compete at 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru
24 July 2019 released 11 Oct 2019 LIMA, Peru - Askia Alleyne will be representing Barbados in Taekwondo at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. This is a significant occurrence for Barbados who missed out on the previous Olympic cycle. Accompanying Alleyne is Henderson Turton as Coach. The Team arrived safely in LIMA and left the airport shortly after midnight on Wednesday 24 July. They will stay at one of the Satellite Villages of the Games in Callao. Alleyne was excited about the opportunity and was feeling confident, looking forward to doing his best for Barbados following preparations of Training and other International competition this year. Mr. Turton was also happy for Alleyne and expressed he was deserving of the opportunity having come such a long way and persevered with is training over the years. He also cited the significance of the milestone for Taekwondo in Barbados, since it represents the possibilities available to our players in Barbados once they continues to put in the work. Alleyne has a weigh-in on 28 July and is scheduled to compete on Monday 29 July in the Men's 80+kg Kyorugi. |
Keen Competition and Kyukpa at 2019 National Championships!
21 July 2019 CHRIST CHURCH, Barbados - The 2019 National Championships saw three Dimensions of Taekwondo on display. For the first time in recent memory, three categories of competition were on offer – the most notable addition being that of Kyukpa (or Board-breaking). Athletes also competed in the Poomsae (patterns or forms) and the more familiar Kyorugi (or sparring). The competitive spirit was certainly on display with a supportive environment in the face of a relatively low participation level. Competitors were mainly seen from the Williams Dojang, Warriors and Burnett Taekwondo Academy. However, the officiating was also supported by representatives from Boardbreakers, Titans and Challenger Taekwondo Academy. Acknowledgements are made for the continuous support from our sponsors including the Barbados Olympic Association, National Sports Council and Gourmet Skin Care Products. The Association was especially grateful to have the occasion to receive the generous donation of Taekwondo Equipment from Master Zach Miner from Iowa, USA who has worked with the Association over the past year. Vice President Dr. Leo Brewster accepted the donation on behalf of the TAB and thanked Master Miner for his continuous contributions in the various forms. Congratulations go out to the new National Champions and all participants for a job well done! |
The 2019 National Taekwondo Championships is here!
Registration is open for the 2019 Barbados National Taekwondo Championships. This year's edition features:
Click here to register and take that first step toward claiming your title of National Champion and earning more National Ranking points! |
Taekwondo at the 34th Annual National Sports Council's Summer Sports Camp!
4 July 2019 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Taekwondo will once again be featured as an offering at the 2019 National Sports Council's Summer Sports Camp. The Camp runs for six weeks from 9 am daily starting 8 July and ending 16 August 2019 and is open to any minors interested in doing Taekwondo whilst in Barbados. Last years' Camp saw successful completion and promotion for all campers who undertook the Grading at the end of Camp. Many were beginners and at the end of camp they demonstrated satisfactory proficiency in their knowledge and execution of various Taekwondo Techniques. They were promoted and presented with their respective Belts and Certificates. Campers had also demonstrated exemplary behaviour and gave a great performance during their Demo at the NSC Closing Ceremony. Registration forms for this year's 2019 edition may be found by clicking here or at the National Sports Council Head Quarters in Blenheim, St. Michael. Alternately, forms may be obtained from the NSC's website. Please note, completed registration forms for the Camp and fees MUST be taken to the National Sports Council's Office. |
|
Barbados at the 2019 Pan Am Open Championships and General Assembly
16 June 2019 OREGON, USA - Askia Alleyne competed for Barbados at the 2019 Pan Am Open Championships in Portland Oregon, USA in the Senior Men's 87+kg Kyorugi competition. Alleyne was once again drawn against a top-100 World-ranked opponent (from USA) who was quite decorated at the Junior level some time back. In so doing he continued his exposure at the International competitive level for our country. He backed up his declaration to do better than his previous performance at the World Championships last month. In fact, Mr. Alleyne was far more competitive on this occasion - following multiple scoring attacks against his opponent, Alleyne trailed 9-10 at then end of the first round and 15-17 at the end of the second. In the third round however, he may have once again been undone by inexperience at this level, as his opponent seized a moment to score twice and then held on for the win. Mr. Turton, who was also performing duties as Coach, reported satisfaction with Alleyne's progress and the improvement shown in a relatively short time since working with Mr. Alleyne - "The fact that he corrected the mistakes from Manchester and was in competitive position to win this match up was quite encouraging. We need to do some more work so we can put it all together every time, going forward." Up next at the International level for Alleyne will be the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. |
Register for 2019 Pre-Nationals Tournament!
Registration is now closed for the 2019 Pre-Nationals (Kyorugi) Competition!
Registration is now closed for the 2019 Pre-Nationals (Kyorugi) Competition!
Barbados at 2019 World Taekwondo Championships - Manchester United Kingdom
19 May 2019 MANCHESTER, United Kingdom - Askia Alleyne competed for Barbados for the first time at the World Taekwondo Championships in the Men's 87+kg Kyorugi Competition. Whilst Alleyne looked to be in good physical condition the occasion seemed to get the better of him. His fight against a top-100 player from Spain ended after round 2 in favour of his opponent. Afterward Alleyne expressed dissatisfaction with his performance, vowing to do better going forward. In his capacity as Coach, Mr. Turton commented that his performance could be put to inexperience at this International level. He also pointed to this being the highest level of competition in Taekwondo after the Olympic Games. Alleyne is slated to next compete in the upcoming WT Pan America Open Championships in Portland, Oregon, USA. That event carries a G-1 rating and will provide another opportunity for Mr. Alleyne to develop his World and Olympic-rankings. |
Barbados represented at 2019 World Taekwondo General Assembly
14 May 2019
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom - Mr. Turton first wore his Presidential hat in representing Barbados at the General Assembly for World Taekwondo MNA Leaders. It took place the day prior to the start of the World Championships, and important decisions were agreed during the meeting whilst leaders were updated on happenings in and around the World of Taekwondo.
The overall outing facilitated furtherance of relations with International counterparts as the President continues to engage the International Taekwondo community as part of the developmental process for Taekwondo in Barbados.
14 May 2019
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom - Mr. Turton first wore his Presidential hat in representing Barbados at the General Assembly for World Taekwondo MNA Leaders. It took place the day prior to the start of the World Championships, and important decisions were agreed during the meeting whilst leaders were updated on happenings in and around the World of Taekwondo.
The overall outing facilitated furtherance of relations with International counterparts as the President continues to engage the International Taekwondo community as part of the developmental process for Taekwondo in Barbados.
Barbados to Participate in 2019 World Taekwondo Championships, Manchester, United Kingdom
14 May 2019
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Barbados’ Men’s number 1 ranked Senior National Taekwondo Athlete, Mr. Askia Alleyne and Taekwondo Association of Barbados (TAB) President, Mr. Henderson Turton, departed Barbados on 9th May to Manchester England, to represent Barbados at the World Taekwondo (WT) Championships and General Assembly meeting. This event runs from the 14th to 19th May. The Bi-annual event is highly prestigious and is ranked second only to the Olympic Games in the world of Taekwondo. It enables athletes to compete against the best from all around the world and thus enables them to improve their World and Olympic Rankings.
It will be the first time that Mr. Alleyne will be competing at the World Championships. In 2017 he participated in the WT Championships Training Programme in Muju, South Korea. Mr. Turton will also wear the hats of National Coach/Manager for Mr. Alleyne in Manchester and he will also once again represent Barbados at the WT General Assembly meeting.
Mr. Askia Alleyne is the reigning National Champion and has been Barbados’ number 1 ranked senior competitor for several years. He will be competing in the 87+ Kg weight category. His matches are scheduled for 19th May. This level of competition will be a good international competition experience for Mr. Alleyne.
Prior to their departure, President Turton expressed his pleasure with the present state of conditioning of the athlete. He noted his satisfaction with the national team's preparations generally and the preparation of Mr. Alleyne in particular. Mr. Turton further explained that Mr. Alleyne had recently participated in the Pan Am Games Qualification Tournament in the Dominican Republic following which Barbados was awarded a Wild Card placing for the Pan Am Games later this year.
The significance of this Pan Am Games qualifier outing and the result, to enable participation at the Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru, in August 2019, demonstrated that the quality of training received through the TAB recognized clubs, was at a level that can foster a path for our national taekwondo athletes to actively compete on the international stage. This is something that Barbados was known for several years ago and through the hard work of the Association, it shows "Barbados is back!" He was happy that Taekwondo in Barbados was once again formally engaged in the formal Olympic Cycle having missed out on the process in the past.
President Turton further opined that the exposure for Mr. Alleyne at the WT World Championships will also provide much needed international competition experience and exposure in the lead up to the Pan Am Games this coming August in Lima, Peru.
14 May 2019
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Barbados’ Men’s number 1 ranked Senior National Taekwondo Athlete, Mr. Askia Alleyne and Taekwondo Association of Barbados (TAB) President, Mr. Henderson Turton, departed Barbados on 9th May to Manchester England, to represent Barbados at the World Taekwondo (WT) Championships and General Assembly meeting. This event runs from the 14th to 19th May. The Bi-annual event is highly prestigious and is ranked second only to the Olympic Games in the world of Taekwondo. It enables athletes to compete against the best from all around the world and thus enables them to improve their World and Olympic Rankings.
It will be the first time that Mr. Alleyne will be competing at the World Championships. In 2017 he participated in the WT Championships Training Programme in Muju, South Korea. Mr. Turton will also wear the hats of National Coach/Manager for Mr. Alleyne in Manchester and he will also once again represent Barbados at the WT General Assembly meeting.
Mr. Askia Alleyne is the reigning National Champion and has been Barbados’ number 1 ranked senior competitor for several years. He will be competing in the 87+ Kg weight category. His matches are scheduled for 19th May. This level of competition will be a good international competition experience for Mr. Alleyne.
Prior to their departure, President Turton expressed his pleasure with the present state of conditioning of the athlete. He noted his satisfaction with the national team's preparations generally and the preparation of Mr. Alleyne in particular. Mr. Turton further explained that Mr. Alleyne had recently participated in the Pan Am Games Qualification Tournament in the Dominican Republic following which Barbados was awarded a Wild Card placing for the Pan Am Games later this year.
The significance of this Pan Am Games qualifier outing and the result, to enable participation at the Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru, in August 2019, demonstrated that the quality of training received through the TAB recognized clubs, was at a level that can foster a path for our national taekwondo athletes to actively compete on the international stage. This is something that Barbados was known for several years ago and through the hard work of the Association, it shows "Barbados is back!" He was happy that Taekwondo in Barbados was once again formally engaged in the formal Olympic Cycle having missed out on the process in the past.
President Turton further opined that the exposure for Mr. Alleyne at the WT World Championships will also provide much needed international competition experience and exposure in the lead up to the Pan Am Games this coming August in Lima, Peru.
|
Quality Poomsae Technical Seminar despite small turnout
28 April 2019 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - The First Technical Seminar for 2019 held by the National Association focused on the Poomsae. Poomsae remains fundamental to the practice of Taekwondo which is modern times has been known more for Kyorugi. The seminar was convened following the BIIG Poomsae competition last year, and the Association's push to facilitate development of Poomsae athletes in Barbados. Master Anthony Williams led the session which included a robust history in the first segment which dealt with Poomsae in our Art and how the Art itself came to be what we know today as Taekwondo. In the second segment the focus changed to the actual performances of the Poomsaes. Master Williams guided participants through ten of the seventeen Poomsaes in the Taeguk Series. The chronology followed from Taeguk Il Jang (Heaven & Light) being the first Poomsae at the coloured rank level, right away through to Keumgang (Diamond Mountain) - being the second Poomsae at the Black Belt/ Dan level. Despite the small participation, representation was seen from BoardBreakers, Taekwondo Warriors, Williams Taekwondo Dojang, Barbados Taekwondo Titans, and Challenger Taekwondo. Williams expressed satisfaction with the quality of the seminar and mentioned his goal to ensure exposure especially to the younger Instructors within the Association, whilst underscoring the fundamental importance of the Poomsaes to Taekwondo. President Turton also pointed to the evolution of the competition dimension and its offering at the Pan American and World levels with anticipation of a birth for Poomsae at the Olympic Games. Opportunities will be made possible at the local level and he encouraged athletes to ensure a balance of their competence in both Poomsae and Kyorugi. He also mentioned the Association's desire to see more attention paid to the development of Kyukpa (Board-breaking) as we go forward. |
Public Demonstration by Taekwondo at 2019 International Day of Sport for Development and Peace Multi-sport Rally
6 April 2019 WHITE HALL, ST. PETER, Barbados - The Taekwondo Association of Barbados performed a live public demonstration during the community outreach 2019 IDSDP Multi-sport rally hosted by the Barbados Olympic Association. Those present included various Sports Officials, community leaders, athletes and residents, and they witnessed performances of Poomsaes, Self-defense, and Kyorugi. There were also drill demonstrations of various Taekwondo techniques and some of the youth on hand had an opportunity to try performing some of the drills. |
|
3rd Annual "Get Ya Feet Wet" Competition Kicks Off 2019 Activities
10 Feb 2019 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - The 3rd Annual "Get Ya Feet Wet" Competition lived up to its name as the National Association kicked off its 2019 calendar of events with a well-contested event. Athletes showed keen edge and high spirits as they returned to competitive action following the Christmas Holidays. There were also a number of new faces and players making their Kyorugi debuts. There was even a Guest Official as Master Zach Miner from Iowa, USA shared in Referee duties. He also paired with our newest Female Cadet 1st Poom, Liana Best-Smith of Williams' Taekwondo Dojang in a dual synchronized exhibition of the Koreo Poomsae which brought warm applause from those on hand. Also performed was the rare mass rendition of the Il Jang Poomsae, as all competitors, referees, judges and officals donned their Doboks and stepped onto the mat to perform the Poomsae in unison to the delight of all in attendance. After the medal ceremony President Turton congratulated the athletes on their great work. He also highlighted the efforts of the Executive, Events and Referees Committees, encouraging all to maintain excellence. A representative from Azure Gourmet Skin Care products was also on hand as the company donated an Apple Monitor/ Screen for display of scores during the Association's Taekwondo Activities. We thanked Mr. Burnett for the donation and encouraged him to continue the pursuit of excellence as Taekwondo is about the journey and way of life which extends beyond the mat, Dojang and competition. |
Female Cadet 1st Poom Amongst those promoted at Williams' Taekwondo Dojang Grading
14 December 2018 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Congratulations is extended to students from the Williams Taekwondo Dojang on their recent promotions following successful grading at the Club on 14 December 2018. Amongst those being promoted was Liana Best-Smith who became the Association's newest female Cadet 1st Poom (Black Belt). Other successful examinees earned promotions to the ranks of Red Belt, Blue Belt and Green Belt. Students and Instructor alike are once again congratulated and encouraged to continue their excellent work! |