THERE was plenty of excitement at the First Defence Taekwondo Club at the weekend after experiencing one of the most successful ever tournaments and the prestige of winning world championships titles.

Club members took part in the Second Open World Championships held in Dublin and gained world titles along with gold, silver and bronze medals.

A delighted Mike Beard, the club's chief instructor, is now world black belt heavy weight champion and is thrilled with his student's dedication and achievements against international competition.

The youngest member, Ellie Scott, 7, of Constantine, fought boys and girls in her bid to win silver medal.

Luke Pollard, 15, achieved medals in all three of his categories. Having only been training for two years, initially to gain confidence and for fitness, he is showing promise for the future.

Over 3,000 martial arts competitors from all over the world, including Arizona and Hawaii (USA), entered this prestigious competition.

Full story in this week's issue.