Good start to the year for TMA at Yokoso Dutch Open in Amsterdam

TALLAGHT Martial Arts kicked into action for their first international event of 2024, after a very successful 2023 which saw them win the Prestigious Active South Dublin Team of the Year award in association with The Echo.

Their first event was the Yokoso Dutch Open in Amsterdam, with 141 teams from 21 countries with over 1500 athletes taking part in multiple kickboxing divisions, point fighting light contact, Kick light and Full contact.

TMA kicked off the weekend with two of the youngest members of the team, Isabel Golding and Amy Comerford winning the Younger Cadet Tag Team Section!

The weekend continued in much the same vein with outstanding performances from the rest of the TMA team, taking home 30 medals in total, with 12 first place finishes, 7 silvers and 12 bronze!

Outstanding Gold Medal performances came from Nathan Clarke took 2 Golds, Callum O’Connor hot on his heels with 2 Golds of his own, not to be outdone – Ann Marie O’Grady, fresh from her amazing performance in European Championships in November taking 2 Golds in the veterans’ sections points and +65kg veterans points and adding a silver to the list for good measure in -65kg points.

Hard fought Gold medals also coming from Isabel Golding in younger cadet girls, Edward Comerford – 37kg older cadet boys, Reece Doyle -42kg older cadet boys and Eoin Finn taking the Gold -47kg Older Cadets.

Amy and Edward Comerford

After a large tough division with 16 competitors, a clash of teammates in the final saw 1st and 2nd place on the podium going to TMA Athletes with Eoin Finn taking gold and Reece Doyle taking Silver.

Multiple Silver medals taken in some tough divisions by Dara Kelly Clarke in -42kg older cadet points and light contact divisions.

A battle in junior -57kg Light Contact saw Cillian McArdle take a well-earned silver medal.

Amy Comerford taking a hard-fought silver in – 32kg younger cadet points section.

Taking 12 Bronze in some huge divisions we had Isabel Golding taking 2 in younger cadet -47kg and +47kg points, Nathan Clarke in -57kg older cadet points, Cillian McArdle in junior -57kg kick light, Luke Daly taking bronze in Full contact.

Shauna Fitzpatrick and Eryn Birkhead both taking bronze in -50kg Senior points and Jodie Browne taking bronze in Senior Points and team event.

Liz White taking to the mats for the very first time taking a hard fought Bronze medal home and plenty of experience in her veterans section.

There were also great performances and a lot learned for competitors Ellen McCaughey, Anna White, Leo Golding and Keri Browne all fighting out of their skins, narrowly missing out on podium spots.

Next up for Tallaght Martial Arts is the Kickboxing Ireland All Ireland Championships next weekend and the Italian Open at the end of March, so it will be a busy few weeks for the club.