Seychelles won 14 medals including five gold, five silver, and four bronze in the the World Tang Soo Do Association Region 14 Championship held in Maputo, Mozambique, this month.

Two gold medals came from Jishin Jins and the other gold medals came from Mastura Shah-Faure, Kyan Francourt and Tariq Shah-Faure.  

Speaking to reporters upon their return to Seychelles on Wednesday, Masturah Shah-Faure, a senior member of the Seychelles Tang Soo Do, said she was very happy with the success of the team.

"It is really big for us as we had to start from scratch after the COVID-19 pandemic. So we had to work hard to win this, especially since this was the kids' first ever tournament," said Shah-Faure.

She added that upon their return, the school will return to training as they prepare for the WTSDA world championship scheduled for July 2024.

Shah-Faure, who won a gold and a silver medal, said she was surprised at being able to bring home the two medals.

"I had not really prepared to compete at the tournament, as I was initially just going to accompany the young athletes, and having to also take part in proceedings, I was not expecting to actually win," she said.  

In total, the Seychelles team of 11 was able to win five gold medals, five silver and four bronze medals, while another young athlete Amber Belle was rewarded with a special Tiny Tiger medal.

The competition saw the participation of athletes from five nations - Seychelles, Botswana, Mauritania, Mozambique and South Africa.

Jishin Jins also won the Senior GUP trophy for the male category.

Aside from her two medals, Shah-Faure was also rewarded for her contribution to Seychelles Northern Tang Soo Do School, with a special plaque of commemoration.

The youngest athlete in the team, Amber Belle, received a special Tiny Tiger medal, awarded to those aged between 3 and 7, as an encouragement to keep practising the sport.

Ashwin Ragupathy, Tahsin Shah-Faure and Hershall Belle won bronze in the Team Open Hand Category, with Jonathan Volcere also claiming bronze, while Alan Murzalin won silver.

Tang Soo Do is a Korean martial art based on karate and the World Tang Soo Do Association was set up in 1982 by late grandmaster Jae-chul Shin and actor Chuck Norris, an instructor in South Korea.