5.5.2018 / Czech Open (youth, juniors & adults)

Tournament in Nymburk in view of Herbert Kindl

During days from 14th to 16th of March 2018, as every year, Czech Open was taking place in sport centre of Nymburk. This year, for the first time ever, it was under the under the auspices of EITF. Many participants from whole Europe, for instance from Estonia, Latvia and also from Great Britain or Spain,
came to take part in this more and more famous contest. Whole competition, which was attended by nearly 500 people, was divided into two days. On Saturday, which was the first day, the competition belonged to the seniors´ and pupils´ category. The juniors´ category competed on Sunday.

The first day was something new not just for contestants but even for referees for, as was mentioned before, the contest under auspices of EITF is supposed to comply with specific conditions. There is a rule that blue and red contestants must be differentiated from each other with different colours of their guards during sport sparring. Even though the competitors are not used to that, they observed this rule very carefully. Sometimes it happened that contestants wore 10 ounce gloves that are not allowed yet in Taekwon-Do ITF. And so they had to change them.

As for the competition, I suppose that all competitors either the experienced or the beginners, carried off worthy experience. For many contestants form foreign countries Czech Open was kind of test before oncoming European championship. For new contestants who were at the competition for the first time it was surely great spectacular. Presence of foreign competitors who are the European top undoubtedly enhanced prestige of whole competition.

What about results? Almost everybody of Sonkal school won at least one medal. In total Sonkal gained second place among all of schools. It was very close for only three bronze medals divided us from the first place which was taken by Estonian school. The result was undoubtedly awesome but the most important thing is that we gained lots of experience.

Herbert Kindl