A KEIGHLEY taekwondo club were among the medals again as they won 49 medals at the ITF English Open, the final event at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre.

Taekwondo School of Excellence (TSX) built on their success at the World Championships in Sardinia where they captured 11 out of the 49 medals won by Team England.

The pattern, colour and senior black belts all featured in the tournaments, participating in events including individual sparring and high kick technique.

It is the first time the city has hosted the event which was supposed to take place at the new Sedbergh Leisure Centre in Low Moor but the building was not ready in time.

Instead, around 200 fighters took part in the last event at the iconic Richard Dunn's which ran six areas at a time, allowing a smooth transition for the fighters who didn't have to stand around for too long.

Master Chris Beanland, the head instructor at TSX, thinks the event was another success and that the sport is now gaining the coverage it deserves in the media.

He said: "It went down with the crowd fantastically, they thought it was well organised and enjoyed the talent on show.

"It was a absolute privilege to be part of the final sports event at such an iconic venue.

"Our fighters went another level from the standard they showed at the World Championships.

"The event is a real confidence builder for when we do go to the World Cup in Poland next year.

"We are now gaining the correct publicity which is needed to encourage more people to take up the sport.

"It is good to get a national event on our doorstep as before you had to travel across the country."

Harriet Bush, James Roberts and Jonathan Shaw were among the winners for the Keighley club.

The next event for Beanland and his martial artists will be their Christmas competition which they hold at the Keighley Sports Centre.

Over the years, TSX, which include 12 taekwondo schools located throughout West Yorkshire and Lancashire, have produced a number of world, European and British champions in all competitive disciplines of ITF.

All ages are welcome from four with their Tiny kwon-Do Dragons and all lessons are supervised by a team of experienced trainers.

For more information about the club, call Beanland on 07779 596371.