Taekwondo: Ulinzi subdue opponents in taekwondo contest

Korean ambassador cup Taekwondo at Kasarani Faith Wawera from Ulinzi(blue) and Pheona Mucheka Kenya Olumpics(red) in the Bentam weight fight it out during the Korean Ambassador Cup Taekwondo 2017. ON 25/09/2017(Jenipher Wachie)

The Kenya Defence Forces’s (KDF) team Ulinzi won the Korean Ambassador Cup taekwondo championship at Kasarani Stadium on Sunday.

Ulinzi bagged nine gold medals, seven silver and three bronze medals to claim the top honours of the competition sponsored by the South Korean Embassy.

Waithaka Taekwondo Club settled for second spot by winning four medals, which included two gold and two silver medals.

Kenya Prisons and Nairobi County’s team known as Regional completed the last podium place by bagging a gold and bronze apiece.

KDF added another trophy to their cabinet after Edwin Lemiso was feted as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Menengai’s Derrick Kirundi made mince of Ulinzi’s Maxwell Chaburu in the men’s flyweight category.

Over 600 participants drawn from 54 teams participated in the two days event.

The event also served as trials for those who will represent Kenya in the International Ambassadors Cup to be held in South Korea in November.

Seven top players made it to a shortlist for the final round where the top two will form Kenya’s team for the championships.

The seven shortlisted players are Samuel Kinyanjui (KDF), Charles Shaban (Kenyan Tigers), Cleophas Chalicha (Nairobi Region), Cyrus Githinji (Kenya Olympic), Onesmus Ngao (Kilifi), David Ochieng’ (Black Tigers), Joseph Kingori (Kenya Olympic).

The seven will battle for the two slots within the next two weeks in the qualifiers to be supervised by Korean taekwondo experts. [Jenipher Wachie]