Ja fighters on eight-gold quest

Jamaica ambitiously hope to win eight medals in what would be its best-ever haul overseas at an International Sport Kickboxing Association Amateur Members Association (ISKA AMA) World Championships, which starts in Munich, Germany, tomorrow.

The kickboxing and Muay Thai contest, which runs until October 22, is a tatami (mat) and ring-fighting championship. Jamaica twice hosted the tatami events at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, the last being in 2018, topping honours in the continuous and point divisions, with 118 medals - 27 gold, 35 silver and 56 bronze.

However, their best showing on the road was a seven-medal haul at the 2019 championships in Cork City, Ireland, a top feat, considering only three fighters had travelled for the event.

Coach Jason McKay leads a full-strength team of Jamaica's most successful ISKA AMA fighters, headed by Akino Lindsay and Richard Stone, intent to return home with eight gold medals.

Lindsay is a two-time double gold medal winner and defending champion in points and continuous sparring, first achieving the feat in Jamaica 2018, which he repeated at the Daima Sports Complex in Kemer, Turkey, last year, moving past Stone as Jamaica's most decorated ISKA AMA fighter, having won continuous-sparring titles in Portugal 2015 and Greece 2017.

Stone also has an outstanding record at the championships, completing a hat-trick of double-gold performances in 2019 at the Neptune Stadium in Cork City, Ireland.

Former champion Nicholas Dussard, who was among the team that bagged five gold, a silver and a bronze in Ireland, will also be hunting gold, joined by Delano Francis and 2018 world bronze medallist Nicholai Reid.

Since returning to international competitions, Jamaica's Combined Martial Arts Team has won four world medals - three gold and one bronze. Lindsay's double-gold in Turkey added to Dussard topping the ESPN Night of Champions taekwon-do battle at the 2022 United States of America Open and bronze won at the International Taekwon-Do Federation's World Cup in Koper, Slovenia.

NICHOLAS DUSARD

Age: 34

Sixth-degree black belt

International Titles: International Sports Karate Association Amateur Members Association World Champion 2018 and 2019. Three-time International Taekwon-Do Federation Pan-Am champion.

Outlook: Mentally, I am really looking forward to the championship, hoping for good performances and, ultimately, winning my division. Physically, I am definitely ready to go the rounds. Hopefully, I will be in great form on the day of the event and can put on a good showing.

DONALD FRANCIS

Age: 26

Fourth-degree black belt

International Titles: International Sports Karate Association Amateur Members Association 2018 point-fighting champion.

Outlook: I am fully prepared for this world championship, mentally and coming into a nice shape, physically, for what is expected at these events. This is one of the hardest tests, physically, on the body and you are required to be fully fit and focused to win. Once you have the tools and can strategically work out how to execute and dominate, winning should be possible. My expectations are high-quality fights to dominate opponents in defence and attack, looking to win each round and, ultimately, take home gold.

AKINO LINDSAY

Age: 28

Second-degree black belt

International titles: Defending International Sports Karate Association Amateur Members Association world champion.

Outlook: I would just like to go and do my best. I love representing my country. I am training hard to get the gold medal. That is my only goal.

RICHARD STONE

Age: 30

Fourth-degree black belt

International Titles: International Sports Karate Association (ISKA) Amateur Members Association world champion in 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Outlook: I believe I am mentally and physically prepared for the competition. This doesn't guarantee a win but I am going in to win both gold medals for my country.

NICHOLAI REID

Age: 30

Belt Rank: First-degree black belt

International titles: ISKA US Open 2023

Outlook: For the past couple of weeks, the training I have experienced has been challenging, physically and mentally. However, I will let my results speak for themselves.