Combined team set for Champs

Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer

JAMAICA'S COMBINED Martial Arts team faces one of its toughest tasks to date this weekend as one of four finalists at the World Continental Team Fighting Championships in Orlando, Florida.

The Combined team, set to leave the island today, will compete against the best International Taekwon-Do Federations teams in the world at the International Sports Karate Association (ISKA) United States Open World Championships.

The tournament, held at Disney World each year, at the ABC Wide World of Sports Complex, is the biggest Open tournament in the world.

Feature championship team

The Open will this year showcase the inaugural World Continental Team Fighting Championship.

Jamaica, who dominated the region last year, will represent the Pan-Am region while England will turn out for Europe and New Zealand for Pacific-Asia.

Hosts United States, who failed to grab the Pan-Am spot after being beaten by Jamaica in Atlantic City last year, replace Africa.

The Combined team, coached by Claude Chin and George McFarlane, comprises captain Jason McKay, Kenneth Edwards, Arthur Barrows, Dwayne Brown, Bruce McFarlane, Omar Rose, Sean Cummings, Nicholas Dussard and Alrick Wanliss.

Captain McKay says the tournament will prove Jamaica's claim to being the best continuous fighting unit in the world.

"We've cancelled all other tours for this championship and what is important to us now is to be world champions," McKay said.

"This tournament is important for many reasons, sponsorship and otherwise," he said.

"If we are to be recognised as one of the national teams of the year, we are coming all out and only a win is enough," he pointed out.

Jamaica are scheduled to host the Continental World Championship next year, giving the Combined team even more incentive in Florida.