Taekwondo International World Championships: Daventry Tigers students bring home 60 medals

Daventry Tigers students fielded their biggest team ever for the Taekwondo International World Championships.

Over the weekend of July 14-16, 70 local students prepared intensely to take on the best in the world, winning 23 gold medals across various events, with 60 medals won in total.

“I’m still reeling in shock,” said Mark Robson, Daventry Tigers owner and instructor.

Coventry Skydome hosted the 2023 Taekwondo International World Championships, the biggest tournament of its kind in the country.

Nearly 3000 martial artists representing over 20 countries took part in the events over the three days.

Daventry Tigers, established by Mark and Sarah Robson, first opened its doors to students on April 20, 2012. It was conceived as a feeder club for Master White’s classes. Initially, it only accepted students aged four to eight.

They took their first team to the World Championships in 2013 but were unsuccessful. The team fared better in 2016, returning with four medals, one silver and three bronzes. By 2018, the number of students and their successes increased, returning home with three gold, three silver, and four bronze medals.

In 2020, the Robson family bought Master White’s club, retaining him as a consultant instructor to continue teaching the growing number of students earning Black Belts in the club.

Mark also founded a club in Woodford Halse and took over and grew another sister club in Banbury. The competition-ready team had increased again, with results in regional and national tournaments improving exponentially.

Daventry, Woodford Halse, and Banbury students from Mr and Mrs Robson’s linked clubs prepared intensely to compete against the best in the world.

The event started on Friday, July 14, with the Black Belt musical patterns and Executive Black Belt competitions. Although this was unfamiliar territory for the local black belts, the medals started to flow almost immediately.

At 69 years old, Master Jackson White was the oldest competitor in the Super Executive Black Belt division for adults aged over 50. He led by example, giving a true master class in sparring, winning through five, two-round bouts and retaining his world title.

The significant day for juniors and adult coloured belt students was Saturday. Despite significant divisions, the local students excelled from the start.

Winning 23 gold, 17 silver, and 20 bronze medals across a variety of events, with a total of 60 medals, the results exceeded the team’s expectations.

“There were so many amazing performances, but the story of the tournament must be 10-year-old Daniella Kaufman, who smashed every Junior Black Belt division, winning gold in individual patterns, gold in individual sparring, gold in synchronized patterns, and gold in tag team sparring. She started training as a three-year-old and all her hard work has finally paid off in spectacular fashion,” said Mark.

Sparring is not Daventry Tigers club’s focus, but that did not stop some of the students from fighting their way to the medals. A few of them had to fight four times just to make it to the semi-finals, while the majority only lost to the final champions.

“We had to raise a lot of money in sponsorship to help families afford to have the chance to go,” said Mark.

Daventry Rotary Club sponsored the Daventry Tigers suits, while Littlehmakes and ARL Detailing subsidised the entry fees.

“Without them, some families would not have been able to afford to go and our stunning results would not have happened. I think we did them proud. Suddenly, our clubs are full of world champions and world medallists,” said Mark.

With 257 teams entered across all divisions of patterns and tag team events, Daventry Tigers students won gold medals in every team patterns event for children under the age of 14 and in the Black Belt Cadets, between the ages of 15 and 17.

“Our club's focus, running up to the tournament, was very much on the team synchronised patterns events. We saw this as our best shot at developing large numbers of potential champions, as it is quite a specialist discipline and we were not wrong,” said Mark.

Daventry Tigers teams finished first, second, and fourth out of the 23 teams who competed in the largest division.

“Overall, it was an unforgettable weekend for all of our students who competed,” said Mark.

Here is the list of our Daventry Tigers winners.

Gold medals

Alara Yildirim

Ashley Kelly

Bronwyn Harrison

Brooke Shafto

Caoimhe Adams

Daniella Kaufman (four medals in separate categories)

Derin Yildirim (two medals in separate categories)

Evie-Ann Boyland

Harry McDowell

Jackson White

Lauren Hughes

Mabelle Gwilliam

Max Hlavac

Megan Sills

Phoebe Smith

Rosa Ardito

Selina Yildirim (two medals in separate categories)

William O’Toole

Silver medals

Alara Yildirim

Anushka Krishna

Christina Pirlea

Fabio Simoes

Holly Jones

James Leaper (two medals in separate categories)

Kaden Roche

Lauren Hughes

Liam Fishwick

Madison Bull

Maizie Smith

Morgan Jones

Mrs Helen Griffiths (two medals in separate categories)

Oisin Adams

Oliver Griffiths

Bronze medals

Anushka Krishna

Ashley Kelly

Brooke Shafto

Caoimhe Adams

Derin Yildirim

Harry McDowell (two medals in separate categories)

Heather Howard

Holly Jones (two medals in separate categories)

Kai Smith

Luca Wilson

Megan Sills

Morgan Jones

Mr Andy Bull

Mr Chris Sills

Mr Fabio Simoes (two medals in separate categories)

Mr Tom Lewington

Oisin Adams