A GROUP of taekwondo students at a Keighley-based martial arts school have been selected to represent England at the world championships this autumn.

The six students attend Beanland Taekwon-Do in Keighley and will represent the country at the prestigious ITF Union World Championships which are being held in Argentina in October.

The ITF Championships are held every two years in different countries but Master Chris Beanland, who trains the group, said this year is ‘particularly exciting’ because taekwondo has such a large presence in Argentina.

 “To have six of our students be selected for the championships is amazing. This group have been selected because they train hard, attend a lot of events and regularly gain medals.”

“It makes you feel like you’re doing things right, you’re teaching them the right things and pushing them in the right direction and that we’re giving them opportunities.

“It really is an amazing achievement and shows the dedication and hard work that each student has put in,” Master Beanland said.

The group, aged from nine years and up, will be part of a team of 33 students who have been selected nationally to represent team England.

Mr Beanland, who has been practising the art since 1983, explained that before being selected for the championships, the students have to ‘to attend numerous competitions against people of a high standard, ‘they have to medal in at least two of three of the competitions’, and then they go to the team selection to see how they compare to others at their level.’

He said the students train up to four times a week, with additional training at home.

“We’re starting to kick them all into gear now. They train hard with us to get them to a high level, then we take them to train at a national level and then they put their skills to the test.”

But although the team have passed the test to qualify for the championships, they need help raising the funds to cover the costs of the event, as well as flights, hotels, entry fees, uniforms and equipment needed.

The students are:-Adam Berisha, Samuel Edmondson, Yvie Ling- Hegarty, Filip Pilarksi, Jo Storey, and James Waddington.

Beanland Taekwon-Do is an ITF taekwondo organisation founded by Master Chris Beanland.

There are a number of schools throughout West Yorkshire and Lancashire catering for all ages and abilities.

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