Ja Taekwon-do boys sweep sparring in Canada

JAMAICA Taekwon-do Association fighters returned home from Brampton, Canada, decorated with seven medals – three gold, three silver, and a bronze – won at the 2026 North American and Caribbean International Taekwon-do Federation (ITF) Championship held at the Save Max Sport Centre last Saturday.

Competing in the 8-9 and 10-11 categories, Jamaica’s boys swept sparring. Abigail Dixon, the lone girl in the party of four coached by Master Joleen Masters, won two silver medals, pattern and sparring, in the 14-15 category.

The North American and Caribbean ITF Championship, first held in 2015, represents the Americas, a rung above the Central American and Caribbean Championships, which is held every year in a different territory, set for July 14-21, 2026, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Intended to be staged every two years in Canada, the North American and Caribbean ITF Championship was derailed in 2017, suffering a further cancellation in 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Masters, a seventh degree black belt and much-travelled umpire, believes the return of an Americas-specific championship will be to the benefit of local fighters aspiring for top-tier ITF tournaments such as the World Cup and World Championships.

“This tournament will help to better prepare our fighters for the ITF World Cup and World Championships in which they will face strong European rivals,” said Masters.

“The rules across all ITF tournaments are similar, with a few adjustments for sparring gear. Participating in these tournaments will sharpen their techniques for the bigger ITF stage as opposed to open tournaments in which allowance is made for other fighting styles,” she explained.

The ITF World Cup, set for late September to early October, 2026, in Benidorm, Spain, is held every even-number year for blue belts and above, ages 12 and older.

The marque ITF World Championship, set for Paraguay in 2027, is held every odd-number year, restricted to black belts, ages 12 and above.

Liam Laylor: 8-9

Silver in pattern

Gold in sparring

10-11 category

Quinton Jackson

Bronze in pattern

Gold in sparring

Romalachi Graham

Gold in sparring

Abigail Dixon: 14-15 category

Silver in pattern

Silver in sparring

The team was coached by Master Joleen Masters.