MIDDLE REGION--Twenty athletes from the King Yen Tae kwon do School in Middle Region will represent St. Maarten at the called “Los Gallitos Olimpicos.”
The team is led by Grandmaster Theo Liu and boasts a support staff of four team officials and a sports therapist. Traveling with the team for the October 23 competition will be 20 parents.
Also fielding teams will be Puerto Rico, St. Croix, Chili, Mexico, Panama, New York, Orlando, Canada, and host Dominican Republic.
The St. Maarten team ranges in age from six to 18 years old.
“Based on our excellent international tournament accomplishments and recently in South Korea, the birth place of Tae kwon do, we will represent St. Maarten again as the Tae kwon do sport ambassadors,” said Grandmaster Liu. “We want to give our St. Maarten student athletes, again the great opportunity to acquire international experience.”
Preparing for the trip has been a challenge for the team. Normally, for the past 20 years, the team trains in the Sister Marie Laurence School gym.
The facility needed a facelift so the Tae kwon do students have been braving the elements and training outside in the school’s court yard
The group is set to leave St. Maarten October 21 and return October 24.
Well known Tae kwon do coach from Puerto Rico, Master Bill Zafiropoulos will team up with St. Maarten to travel together to Santo Domingo.
