Ainsley Walters, Staff Reporter
Jason McKay (left) captain of Jamaica's Combined Martial Atrs Team trades punches with his Trinidadian opponent during last Sunday's Busta Challenge Cup tournament in Port of Spain Trinidad. The bout ended in a draw but Jamaica won the team showdown 4-2. - CONTRIBUTED
THE BUSTA Fighters, Jamaica Combined Martial Arts Team, named a super squad for its December 5 showdown against Cuba, the second leg of the Busta Challenge Cup.
Unlike other showdowns in the series, the Cuban match-up involves a 10-man squad, doubling the normal line-up.
The squad will be called into camp, Saturday, November 5 and includes one junior, Nicholas Dussard.
The additional squad members are Sean Cummings from Shai-Tai Kickboxing, Omar Rose from Seido, Jermaine Lue formerly of Kung Fu, Roger Williams from Mandeville Taekwondo and Shai Shukuri from Montego Bay Taekwondo.
The new members will join the four regular squad members captain Jason McKay and Dwayne Brown from Taekwondo, Kenneth Edwards from Ningen and Bruce McFarlane from Mandeville Seido as well as untested new selection Frank Otto from Shai-Tai Kickboxing.
LARGEST EVER BLACK
BELT EVENT
The super squad is set to take part in the largest ever black belt event in the Caribbean, operating under normal rules, two points awarded for a winning bout, with one junior to each squad.
Dussard, 16, is Jamaica's most outstanding black belt junior.
Jamaica recently got through a hard but badly strategised Trinidadian team in the first match of the Challenge Cup with Dwayne Brown winning one of three bouts contested. The other two ended in draws whereas the hosts opted not to send out their last two fighters.
Captain McKay, who served as chief selector for the new members, said the recruits had all qualified by entering the Jamaica Taekwdo Association (JTA) Open in March of this year and the selection was based on their ability to function in a full-contact environment.
Jamaica have a chequered history with Cuba. McKay led a winning squad to the island in 2001 but in 2002 Jamaica suffered their worst ever defeat.
CLASSIC ENCOUNTER
In 2003, the match-up ended in a protest, leading to a 2004 rematch, which went to Jamaica following Cuba's disqualification.
The showdown has all the makings of a classic encounter and negotiations are under way for a live broadcast from Cuba.
A lot will be expected from the usual stalwarts, Edwards, Brown and McFarlane as well as veteran McKay.
Explaining the size of the squad, coach Claude Chin said it was important for Jamaica's promising athletes to be exposed to international competition by representing the Combined Team.
"National representation is the only thing that will result in recognition of Jamaica's vast local talent," he said.
Herbert Stewart will travel as Chin's assistant.
