Almost 600 competitors attended the 2024 TAGB Scottish Championships - and Dunmow TKD were not only among them, they returned winners too.

Held at the Ravenscraig Sports Facility in Motherwell, the event brought plenty of success for the taekwondo club.

The Dixon-Bellot sisters, 11-year-old Ariella and 10-year-old Alyse, were both reigning Scottish champions in sparring but are now in the same height and grade division.

Alyse made it all the way to the semi-final where she was defeated by a much taller girl, although still fully deserving of her bronze medal.

Older sister Ariella then faced the same girl in the final and fought superbly landing combinations that were not always acknowledged.

She lost narrowly but still walked away with a well-earned silver.

Both sisters then combined in tag-team sparring and here they were in complete control, winning all their bouts comfortably and getting the gold they deserved.

Nine-year-old Anish Malladi also medalled in tag-team sparring, coming away with bronze.

This was the third year running that the trio have made the trip north of the border, and this year they were accompanied by Anish's father, Madhav.

The 43-year-old, a white belt yellow stripe, was taking part in his first ever competition in male patterns.

The highlight though for the club was Maddie Davenport, daughter of instructor Cheryl Howard.

She is a second degree black belt, one of the few at Dunmow TKD as they have only been running since 2020.

The Black Belt divisions are extremely competitive and Maddie, having just turned 18, was now in the adult ladies division.

Nevertheless her pattern Eui-Am with 45 movements was executed brilliantly and earned a podium place with a bronze medal.

Then in sparring she won two bouts before coming up against a fourth dan member of the TAGB UK National Team in the semi-final.

It was a superbly contested bout and although Davenport was eventually edged out, she came away with her second bronze of the day.

Instructor and proud mum Cheryl Howard said: "This was a excellently organised competition and the attendance was much higher than last year.

"All of our students pushed themselves to be here and for the club to maintain its record of medalling in every competition is wonderful.

"But yes I'm delighted for Maddie, getting any medal in patterns is an achievement in itself but to follow it up by medalling in a really tough sparring division amongst older, more experienced fighters was a huge moment for her."

 

Dunmow TKD train three times a week and can be found at www.dunmowtkd.co.uk