Local kickboxers fight their way to the top

A
YOUNG fighter from Loughlinstown Kickboxing Club has won gold in a top world
competition.

At
just 19-years-of-age, Damian Darker, who has trained with the club since he was
four, won gold in the men’s full contact division in the WOMAA World Martial
Games in Cardiff, Wales.

Students
from all martial arts disciplines including kickboxing, kung fu, karate, and
taekwondo competed in the competition.

And
teams from Mexico, USA, Canada, Portugal, New Zealand, Germany, Great Britain,
Wales and England took part. There were over 500 competitors at the competition
and the standard was very high.

And,
considering this was Damian’s first international outing as a senior, having
stepped up from the juniors in June, this was a remarkable achievement.

Meanwhile,
Lindsey Doyle was disappointed on arrival to find out there was no one in her
-60kg full contact division but, not one to waste a weekend at a competition,
she decided to jump into two other divisions where she won silver in the light
contact -66kg division and a World Title Belt in the women’s open weight black
belt division.

It
was also the turn of Loughlinstown kickboxing’s chief instructor, Glen Heenan,
to get back onto the mats after a long break from competition. He did this in
style, finishing second in the men’s open weight world title belt division, and
scoring himself a silver medal.

Glen
and everyone at the club would like to thank those who attended or helped out
and donated spot prizes at the fundraiser table quiz the club held in the
Graduate Pub recently.

Prizes
were donated by DLR Leisure Services, Johnstown Therapy Centre, and Twirl.ie
among others.

Anyone
who requires further information on junior/senior kickboxing classes can
contact Glen on 0863993095 or loughlinstownkickboxing@gmail.com