#35: Brussels Open ‘23: Three Golds And One Bronze For ITL
Another international venture ended with medals after ITL hit Belgium on the 25th of November 2023.
Mudokwan’s Brussels Indoor Open never failed to please. Moreso this year, after the signing-up of some big names.
Olympic Medalist Pascal Gentil was probably the most anticipated competitor in the event. World-renowned coach Juan Antonio Ramos also sat ringside for a few of his own athletes.
ITL’s team comprised 11 players, and together they returned with 4 medals (three golds and one bronze).
International debutant Kieran Vella (Kids -22kg) hit the ground running with his first-ever gold out of Malta.
He won with a round score of 2:0 against his French Opponent in the final of his respective set.
ITL Cadet Michela Scerri (-41kg) made a spectacular showing in each of her four fights.
Michela won gold, finishing each fight with a comfortable scoreline. All round scores of 2:0. She also managed to accrue three twelve-point-gaps throughout the tournament.
Her group had thirteen competitors in total, hailing from Andorra, France, Belgium, and Italy.
As a coach, I (Gianluca Barbara) often thought my competition days were over. Turned out I was wrong.
I enrolled in the Masters Category (-80kg) along with two Italian opponents and another from Luxembourg. Unbelievably, I came out with our team’s third gold and more than a few hugs from my teammates.
The semi-final was won with a round score of 2:0 and the final, with a round score of 2:1. Each against two Italian opponents.
ITL’s fourth medal came by way of Dwayne Micallef, who competed in the kids -24kg category, fighting up a class from his usual -22kg.
Dwayne won his first match against a French opponent and progressed to the semi-final. He then lost against a Belgian in a closely-fought encounter with a marginal difference in score.
The elimination came in the semi-final round, which meant he secured a bronze for his efforts.
There was no shortage of hard-fought encounters for the remainder of the tournament, given the high level of the competitors.
Alycia Cassar fought in the Cadets -55kg category but lost with a round score of 2:1 against her Belgian adversary. The Belgian then cruised to the semi-final and lost to the highly-ranked Czech Anna Spinarova.
Robin Zammit (Cadets -37kg) lost in his first match against another Belgian opponent with a round score of 2:0. Both with marginal scorelines.
Emma Lautier (Kids -24kg), who was the first to fight on the day, lost her first match with a round score of 2:1. Another very close encounter with a Belgian athlete who got the better of the Maltese in the final round. A remarkable display from the Maltese, nevertheless.
Ella Schembri (Kids -32kg) hit the competition. Her second since Serbia, last May. Unfortunately, she lost with a round score of 2:0 in her first match. But with many lessons learned from the encounter, we now look to the next opportunity.
Brayden Micallef (Cadets -41kg) played his first-ever international tournament at A-class level. Unfortunately, he suffered a loss against his experienced opponent.
Fergeson Galea also made an impressive showing given his lack of experience. In his first round, he drew the renowned athlete from Belgium who later won the entire set. The Maltese led throughout the first round and even landed a crazy double head kick.
A small lapse in concentration then created an opening for the Belgian to land a body shot and turn the score in his favor. Fergeson then lost the second round.
Mamadou Balde (Senior -80kg) lost 2:0 against his German adversary, a national hopeful in the first game of the set.
Jean Schembri (Cadet -37kg) unfortunately had to withdraw from the competition before getting a chance to play. ITL’s young player suffered an injury prior to the event.
An honourable mention goes out to Italian athlete Cosimo De Giosa, who traveled from his hometown in Bari to attend the competition.
Having gone solo, Cosimo joined our team and hit the mat in the Senior -68kg category. He lost in his quarter-final against a strong Belgian opponent but gained much experience as he eyes his next challenges.
“Soon there will be other national and international competitions in which I participate. Never look back!” he wrote on social media.
The team was led by coaches Ditmir Vodinaj and Gianluca Barbara, and attended by families that made a wholesome contingent of 25 persons.
Set in the beautiful city of Brussels, the event even allowed for some downtime. Moreover, the Brussels Indoor Open was an excellent opportunity to meet a few legends in the game, like Pascal Gentil himself.
mESSAGE fROM tHE cOACH
Once again, the team got some fine results and on my part, I can only say - every athlete should be proud.
From a personal point of view, I can say I had an absolute blast hitting the mat again, this time with Ditmir in my corner to keep my head in check.
Sometimes, the result doesn’t go our way. And in that event, there are two options: we quit or we work harder!
Together with my fellow coaches, the Iron Taekwondo League was reformed with the sole scope of keeping the athletes as the focal point. A challenge, primarily because - as a country - we don’t have the numbers required for continuous competition. Local, particularly.
But what the athletes lack in numbers, they make up for with hard work, commitment, and ongoing learning. As coaches, we too are on our own learning journey.
Over this past year, our track record has shown that we can rise to new heights despite our limited resources. But I think I know why.
With pride, I can say ITL is founded on solid principles. None of which is more important than our belief in everyone’s capabilities. You read that right: everyone.
There is no such thing as a good or bad athlete, because if one is willing to work, then the results - at some stage - will come. It is inevitable. Each and every one of our successes is built on a multitude of failures, and it is only one step in the grand scheme of things.
We work, laugh and cry together. But through it all, we leave no man or woman behind. That said, I can promise my everlasting support in helping every athlete go wherever it is they want to go.
Keep your eyes on the horizon and never give up.
