Counties Manukau Win National ITKD Taekwon-Do Title
Counties Manukau triumphed again as the top region at the ITKD Taekwon-Do national champs in Auckland after consistent
performances by many of the clubs from the area.
Counties Manukau won a total of 162 medals, including 58 gold ahead of Auckland North with 46 gold, Central were third
followed by Wellington, Midlands, South Island and Australia.
The Paul M Club out of Papakura was the leading club on the medal table totalling 55 medals including 18 gold. However
the club finishing second was Calibre Taekwon-Do from the Hauraki Plains which is based out of the Waitakaruru Hall with
Jon Sawden the head instructor.
The small club gained 11 gold, four silver and one bronze to finish just ahead of Southern Cross TKD Academy in
Palmerston North.
Around 400 competitors took part in the nationals which many athletes were using as a warm up for the world
championships in Dublin in October.
Individual efforts of note had Alex Petrovich from Palmerston North as the best overall junior male black belt. The best
junior from the world cup in Hungary last year won three gold, and one bronze medal at the nationals. Ashley Porter from
the Dragon Spirit Club in Papaptoetoe won the best overall junior black belt title after finishing with three gold and
one silver.
John Raptis from the Berhampore club in Wellington wan the best senior overall black belt title and Row Hope (Legacy, Mt
Albert, Auckland) was the women’s best overall black belt champion.
In one of the toughest competitions world champion Wesley Filiki showed his strength in the men’s senior dan power
title. Filiki from the Pil Sung Taekwon-Do Club in Wellington won the gold medal ahead of Kris Herbison (International
Taekwon-Do Riccarton, Christchurch), both of whom have been selected for this year’s World Champs In third place was a
former world champs medallist Brendan Doogan from Dragon Spirit, Papatoetoe.
ENDS