New Zealand Junior Taekwon-Do Team Medals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Thursday, 8 July 2004 – Auckland

New Zealand Junior Taekwon-Do Team Medals on the first day of the World Championships!

New Zealand won one gold and four bronze medals on the first day of the 7th Junior World Taekwon-Do Championships in Riccione, Italy.

The New Zealand Team has achieved the following successes:

Gold Medal Female Team – Special Technique – Chanthie Thach, Alicia Yates, Elly Sekikawa, Nikki Galpin, Roseanne Te Hau, Lipi Shukla

Bronze Medal Chanthie Thach - 1st Dan Patterns Lipi Shukla - 1st Dan Patterns Nikki Galpin – Special Technique Male Team – Special Technique - Chris Broughton, Robert Buddle, Regan Diggelmann, Samuel Skinner, Nick Eley, Campbell Gold

NEW ZEALAND WINS A GOLD IN THE FIRST DAY OF THE 7TH ITF JUNIOR WORLD TAEKWON-DO CHAMPIONSHIPS IN RICCIONE, ITALY

New Zealand won one gold and four bronze medals on the first day of the 7th Junior World Taekwon-Do Championships in Riccione, Italy.

The New Zealand Team has achieved the following successes: Gold Medal Female Team – Special Technique – Chanthie Thach, Alicia Yates, Elly Sekikawa, Nikki Galpin, Roseanne Te Hau, Lipi Shukla

Bronze Medal Chanthie Thach - 1st Dan Patterns Lipi Shukla - 1st Dan Patterns Nikki Galpin – Special Technique Male Team – Special Technique - Chris Broughton, Robert Buddle, Regan Diggelmann, Samuel Skinner, Nick Eley, Campbell Gold

The Junior World Taekwon-Do tournament runs from the 7th to the 10th of July, and includes competitors representing twenty-six countries. The junior tournament is open to competitors under 18 years of age and there are twenty-four representatives from New Zealand competing.

The New Zealand Coach, Andrew Niven and Team Manager, Greg Skinner took on their roles a little over two and a half years ago when both the teams had rankings in the mid forties. Now both the New Zealand Junior and Senior Teams are currently ranked 3rd in the world. ITF Taekwon-Do tournaments have four individual and four team events: patterns, free sparring, special technique and power. In patterns, competitors perform a sequence of prearranged techniques against imaginary opponents for technical accuracy and power.

Free sparring is controlled combat between two competitors. Special technique involves performing five flying kicks for the greatest height or distance. In the power event, competitors perform five hand and foot techniques to break as many boards as they can. In the team events, five of a six member team compete together in all four events.

The New Zealand team automatically updates the ITFNZ website from Italy making the New Zealand website the most up to date in the world. The website may be found at www.itfnz.org.nz. The coaches, Andrew Niven, 4th degree black belt from Auckland, and Graham Patterson, 5th degree black belt from Wellington, have been instrumental in developing the team’s technical skills, fitness and mental discipline to a level required for international competition.

Further information about the tournament and the New Zealand Junior Team including team profiles may be found at www.itfnz.org.nz (ITFNZ Taekwon-Do New Zealand). The official website of the tournament can be found at http://www.taekwondo-fitae-itf.com/sito%20mondiale%202004.htm (Italy ITF Taekwon-Do).

The New Zealand Team The New Zealand team (and the events in which they are competing) are:
FEMALE: SPARRING Female Micro ( 0 - 42kg )
Rebecca Walthall Female Light ( 42 - 48kg )
Lipi Shukla Female Middle ( 48 - 53kg )
Chanthie Thach
Cori-Jean Topia
Estelle Speirs Female Heavy ( 53 - 60kg )
Alicia Yates
Renee Richardson
Elly Sekikawa Female Hyper ( 60kg + )
Nikki Galpin
Roseanne Te Hau TEAM FEMALE Chanthie Thach
Alicia Yates
Elly Sekikawa
Nikki Galpin
Roseanne Te Hau
Lipi Shukla PATTERNS 1st Dan
Megan Matsuoka
Chantie Thach
Lipi Shukla 2nd Dan
Nikki Galpin SPECIAL TECHNIQUE Elly Sekikawa
Nikki Galpin
Roseanne Te Hau POWER Nikki Galpin
Roseanne Te Hau MALE: SPARRING Male Micro ( 0 - 52kg )
David Burr
Carlos MacDiarmid
Gary Sawyer Male Light ( 52 - 58kg )
Jamie Smith
Kane Baigent Male Middle ( 58 - 63kg )
Chris Broughton Male Heavy ( 63 - 70kg )
Samuel Skinner
Chris Clencie
Regan Diggelmann Male Hyper ( 70kg + )
Nick Eley
Campbell Gold
Robert Buddle TEAM MALE Chris Broughton
Robert Buddle
Regan Diggelmann
Samuel Skinner
Nick Eley
Campbell Gold PATTERNS 1st Dan
Regan Diggleman
Chris Clencie
Chris Broughton 2nd Dan
Samuel Skinner
Robert Buddle SPECIAL TECHNIQUE Chris Clencie
Shannon Ryan
Nick Eley POWER Chris Broughton
Nick Eley
Robert Buddle

Coaching Team Coach - Andrew Niven, 4th degree black belt Assistant Coach -Graham Patterson, 5th Degree Black Belt, ITF World Grand Champion 2003 Technical Advisor & Sparring Coach – Willy van de Mortel 6th Degree Black Belt Manager -Greg Skinner Coaching / Management Team Members – Sue Breen and Karen Skinner

What is Taekwon-Do? Taekwon-Do is a version of unarmed combat designed for the purpose of self defence. It is more than just that, however. It is the scientific use of the body in the method of self defence; aiming to gain the ultimate use of one’s body through intensive physical and mental training. Though it is a martial art, its discipline, techniques and mental training are the mortar for building a strong sense of justice, fortitude, humility and resolve.

It is this mental conditioning that separates the true practitioner from the sensationalist, content with mastering only the fighting aspects of the art. Translated literally “Tae” means jumping or flying, to kick or smash with the foot; “Kwon” denotes the fist - chiefly to punch or destroy with the hand or fist; “Do” means art or way. Taekwon-Do was developed by the late General Choi Hong Hi, who passed away on 15th June 2002. In New Zealand, ITFNZ Taekwon-Do has over 70 clubs and over 2,000 members throughout the country. Members get together regularly for tournaments, training camps and training seminars.

ENDS

© Scoop Media