TASK fighters show why they’re a top team

TASK fighters with chief instructor Rob Taylor. From the left are, back, Emilia SkupiDska, Richard Atkinson, Jazmyn Popat-Evans, Lucy Stirland, Rob Taylor, front, Taylor Popat-Evans, Braydon Popat-Evans and Skaiste Stukaite.

The club (Taylor’s Academy of Sport Karate) featured in three finals at the presentation dinner at the Holiday Inn with chief instructor Rob Taylor, an eight-times world kick-boxing champion, taking the Sportsman of the Year prize and finishing runner-up in Coach of the Year and the club also finishing runners-up in Team of the Year.

A couple of days later Taylor took a team consisting of mainly beginners to the big Peterborough Championship Series event at Bushfields Sports Centre and they had 10 top three placings. First-timers Emilia Skupińska (21) and Miguile Andrulyte (7) did particularly well seeing as they had to move up a weight.

TASK results: Katie Simnett 1st; Miguile Andrulyte 1st; Anujin Lkhagvajargal 3rd; Raihan Ebrahim 2nd & 3rd; Eva Andrulyte 2nd; James Hickey 2nd; Arnas Levickis 2nd; Emilia Skupińska 2nd; Natas Vystartas 3rd.

Miguile Andrulyte is pictured with her big sister Eva Andrulyte (left) and TASK champions Skaiste Stukaite (centre) and Jazmyn Popat-Evans (right).

A week later Taylor took a more experienced team of six fighters to the Kwon Grand Slam competition held in Wolverhampton and five of them came away with first-place medals.

They were brother and sister Braydon and Jazmyn Popat-Evans, world champion Lucy Stirland and British champions Richard Atkinson and Skaiste Stukaite.

Taylor Popat-Evans was the fighter to just miss out on claiming a podium spot after losing a very tight semi-final fight-off.

Taylor’s Academy of Sport Karate can be contacted on 07708 762352 for details about joining.