Jamaican martial artists take 13 medals at ISKA United States Open in Orlando

Akino Lindsay, Jamaica's most decorated martial artist, has saluted a nine-member national party that collected 13 medals — five of them gold — from the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA) United States Open in Orlando, Florida over the weekend.

Lindsay carries the US Open record for most gold in one championship, having claimed four in 2018. The 31-year-old declined to contest his heavyweight clash-sparring final at the Coronado Resort, opting instead to work the corner for rising fighters whose performances he said exceeded his expectations.

"Outside of Adrian Moore, who won gold in his ITF taekwondo bout on Friday's Night of Victory, coached by Master Claude Chin, Delano Francis and I shared coaching duties for the younger fighters," Lindsay explained.

"That caused me to give up my spot in the clash-sparring final but I have won many medals and decided to instead help the younger fighters, who won three gold, four silver and five bronze, a small party of eight fighters, five juniors and three seniors, including two black belts and a brown belt," Lindsay noted.

Seventeen-year-old Trey Pennant, of Jamaica College and the Jamaica Taekwondo Association, struck gold in both clash and continuous sparring. Akhaylah Gilzene, 15, representing St Andrew High School for Girls and Future Leaders Eagle Karate, took gold in clash sparring and silver in continuous sparring.

Arianna Brown finished with silver in clash sparring and bronze in continuous sparring. Manuel Rosales, of Jamaica College and the Jamaica Taekwon-do Association, added silver and bronze across the two sparring formats. Lamar Henry, also of Jamaica College and the Jamaica Taekwon-do Association, earned bronze in clash sparring to close out the junior medal count.

Among the seniors, Sadeki Harris, 19, of Shai-Tai Kickboxing, won silver in clash sparring and bronze in continuous sparring. Shervia Perkins, 19, of First Jamaica Zendo Kai Kan, claimed bronze in continuous sparring.

Lindsay flagged visa problems as the main reason Jamaica fielded a far smaller team than usual for the United States Open, an event that has historically drawn much larger Jamaican entries.

"Typically, we would have had 20-odd fighters. We went leaner with the hopes of winning more gold. They did their best, really good efforts. They fought as best as they could. They maximised on training, went out and delivered.

"I am very proud of them. I could not have asked for a better showing," said Lindsay, adding that next year's local qualifier for the US Open will be held sooner to facilitate earlier interview dates at the United States Embassy.

"This year's qualifying tournament was a little too late, March, we will amend next year, keep that competition a little earlier in the year, enough time for visas to be processed," Lindsay pointed out, assuring qualifiers from this year, who didn't make the trip that they will be automatic entries next year.

"Those who won at the fight-off in March but didn't make it to Orlando, they are automatic for next year. It was no fault of their own. Expect a bigger cast and more medals next year," Lindsay assured.