The Malta Taekwondo Federation (MTF) held a national Kyorugi (sparring) competition with the title Easter Cup 2012 at St Martin’s College, Swatar, where 29 athletes hailing from three clubs with the youngest being Clayton Baldacchino aged 5, took part.
This competition was the first of its kind as for the first time the MTF has used the new DaeDo electronic scoring system that is now being used worldwide. The advantages of this system are that everything works wireless. Sensors are located in the foot and chest protectors and when contact is established a signal is triggered and a score is automatically awarded.
The role of the judges (three in all) is to award an extra point if it is a spinning technique to the chest protector and three points if it is a headshot. An extra point is to be awarded if a headshot is of a spinning nature.
The event lasted around four hours. In all there were 13 categories and the results were as follows:
PEEWEE CAT C -25KG
Clayton Baldacchino-Jaden Cauchi
0 – 12
Jodie Bruno-Jerome Vassallo 4 -19
(final) Jaden Cauchi-Jerome Vassallo 7 -47
PEEWEE CAT C -28KG
Alex Schembri-Julie Ann Camilleri
5 – 30
SENIOR MALE +84KG
Mauro Busuttil-Iain Colquhoun 12 – 10
PEEWEE CAT C -35KG
Travis Briffa-Jade Pulis 2 – 11
FEMALE -59KG
Marie Claire Bonanno-Irina Atanasova 3 – 20
(final) Irina Atanasova-Lynsey Fenech 28 – 12
PEEWEE CAT B -35KG
Mark Demarco-Kylie Magro 7 – 20
SENIOR MALE -67KG
Kyle Vassallo-Gianfranco Capozzi
19 -14
(final) Kyle Vassallo-Sergei Caratanasov 22 – 20
SENIOR MALE -78KG
Dennis Cilia-Gianluca Barbara
13 – 14
CADET MALE CAT A -45KG
Luke Demarco-Kyle Saliba Gracey
4 – 7
(final) Kyle Saliba Gacey-Joel Genuis 3 – 10
CADET FEMALE CAT A -40KG
Shania Magro-Sharelle Zammit
4 – 12
CADET MIXED CAT A -29KG
Sean Demarco-Chloe Vassallo 10 – 11
FEMALE SENIOR MIXED CAT
Thea Cunningham-Lynsey Fenech
0 – 12
SENIOR MALE SUPER CUP
Stephen Formosa-Mauro Busuttil
8 – 5
Gianluca Barbara-Kyle Vassallo 10 – 14
(final) Stephen Formosa-Kyle Vassallo 15 – 26
Kyle Vassallo, who competed in two categories, won all his four matches. Vassallo who is currently the most promising Taekwondo athlete is preparing to compete in the European under 21 championships that will be held in Athens, Greece. He is part of the MTF national team together with Mauro Busuttil and Gianluca Barbara.
The event concluded with the presentation of trophies to all winners and Easter eggs to all participants, coaches and the organisation team.
In the meantime the Taekwondo Dragon Club and the SMTA-Taeki Taekwondo Academy had both recently conducted their respective grading examinations where, in all, there were 68 candidates who all made it to their new rank as follows:
2nd Kup (Red Belt): Mauro Busuttil
3rd Kup (Red Tab): Gianluca Barbara, Michael and Andrew Zammit German
4th Kup (Blue Belt): Kyle Vassallo, Shania Maria Magro, Kylie Magro, Cornelia Zammit German and Robert De Marco
5th Kup (Blue Tab): Jean Paul Baldacchino, Christian Sant, Diane Fenech and Matthew Zammit German
6th Kup (Green Belt): James Aquilina, John Paul Blake, Julian Pace, Marco Cassara, Francesco Cini and Matteo Ragonesi
7th Kup (Green Tab): Rachel Mifsud, Julie Ann Camilleri and Thea Cunningham
8th Kup (Yellow Belt): Luke Camilleri, Tyrone Borg, Gordon Gilford, Daphne Vella, Daniel Vella, Jaden Cauchi, Jerome Vassallo, Svein Ahar, Ismael Galea, Aaron Galea, Jade Lorraine Pulis, Clayton Baldacchino, Denzel Lanzon, Travis Briffa, Edward Attard Selvagi, Alexandra Tabone, Thomas Falzon, Alex Schembri, Theo Bezzina, George Delia, Sam Mifsud Kempkens Oliver Saliba, Amy Baldacchino, Sean Baldacchino, Noel Sciberras, Francesca Nardelli, Jonas Eberhartinger, Moritz Eberhartinger and Kyle Micallef
9th Kup (Yellow Tab): Tristan Hoverby, Reuben Mifsud, Alec Grima Baldacchino, Kyle Cassar, Gianluca Agius, Catherine Gallais, Greg Pullicino Orlando, Emvin Mifsud, Martin Buhagiar, Giuseppe Andrea Buhagiar, Matthew Farrugia, Martin Schembri, Amie Sultana, Kurt Sultana, Rueben Glover, Julian Frazier and Issa Sakamoto