Jamaica's Taekwon-do team (right) prepare to face-off with Brazil in the quarter-finals of team sparring at the recent Pan-Am Games in Asuncion, Paraguay. From Left are Arthur Barrows, T. L Martin, Jason McKay, Dwayne Brown and Michael Thomas.
HOPING TO maintain a successful track record of hosting international sporting events such as the World Netball and World Junior Track and Field championships, Kingston will return to the limelight in 2006 when the International Taekwon-do Federation's (ITF) Pan-Am Games hit the city.
Following Jamaica's creditable display at the recently concluded ITF Pan-Am Games in Asuncion, Paraguay, Kingston was awarded the 2006 Games, prevailing over countries from Central America and the Pacific region.
Jamaica emerged from the May 21-23 Games with 14 medals, topped by red belt junior Nicholas Drussard's double gold medal performance and black belt Michael Thomas' four-medal haul.
Jamaica had the smallest team, six competitors, at what was the biggest ever Games and crowned their medal tally by landing the June 2006 Games bid.
Chief instructor Peter Lue, a sixth degree black belt and vice-president of the Caribbean for the ITF, said the 2006 Games is expected to be a bumper one.
OVER 1000 ATHLETES
"We're expecting more than 1000 athletes from the Pan-Am region, comprising 24 countries," he explained. "In addition, there'll be hundreds of officials and other visitors travelling with these teams."
Athletes will be housed at the University of the West Indies and the Games will be held inside the National Indoor Sports Centre.
Jamaica has been very active in Taekwon-do for the past decade, attending the World Championships on five occasions and has also been busy on the regional scene.
Taekwon-do is one of the world's most popular martial arts system.
Jamaica boasts an organisation recognised internationally as one of the best structured. The recent national tournament is the biggest local martial arts competition locally.
Jason McKay, who competed in Paraguay, was also instrumental in Jamaica's bid, which was presented by Jolene Masters.
"This is how we plan to show the region what Kingston, as a city, has to offer," said McKay. "We will be targeting various attractions such as Caymanas Park, Port Royal, the Bob Marley Museum and so on as packages we plan to sell.
"I've been to tournaments all over the world and I believe Kingston has more to offer than anywhere else," Mckay added.
In her presentation, Masters pointed to Jamaica's track record of hosting international sporting events such as the World Junior Championships of Athletics and the World Netball Champs.
