MARTIAL ARTS | Irish Martial Arts Academy’s Famous Five excel at Europeans

Youngsters return from Macedonia with a haul of five medals

Five Irish Martial Arts Academy students from Dundalk and Carlingford travelled to Macedonia to represent Ireland at the WAKO European Kickboxing Championships earlier this month.

Max Lennon, Sarah Brookes, Oisin O’Maoileoin, Aaliyah Clarke and Matthew McQuillan all excelled at the KBI Irish National Kickboxing Championships in April to secure a place on the Irish team for the trip to Skopje.

Under the guidance of Sensei Eamon Lawlor, they trained extensively throughout the summer at the club’s base on the Coe’s Road, attending extra sessions and national camps to help their preparations for the international event.

The dedication and passion that the youngsters show for their sport knows no bounds and that was evident in the impression they left on the European Hard Style Open Hand and Weapons Division, claiming three gold medals, one silver and one bronze, earning them pride of place on the most prestigious podium of 2017.

Max Lennon and Sarah Brookes both placed first in the younger cadets U12 Open Hand Musical Forms section, Oisin O’Maoileoin placed first in the younger cadets U9 Open Hand Musical Forms category, Aaliyah Clarke placed third in the older cadets U15 Open Hand Musical Forms category and Matthew McQuillan placed second in the junior Hard Style Weapons section.

Sensei Lawlor was understandably delighted with their progress: “I couldn’t be more proud of these guys,” he said. “They have shown amazing dedication and talent in each of their sections. They worked very hard and I’m so happy to say all their work paid off!

“It’s also important to recognise the dedicated parents who facilitated the students’ training and travelled with them to Macedonia to cheer them on! We look forward to training hard and taking another strong team to the WAKO World Championships next year,” he added.

If you would like more information on the Irish Martial Arts Academy, visit the club’s Facebook page or contact Sensei Eamon Lawlor on [email protected]

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