It has become something of a tradition to see National Taekwondo Club (NTC) claim top spot in the standings of the Team Awards at a British Taekwondo National Kyorugi Championships, with Mark Moores' club constantly proving themselves to have stars of the future among their ranks.
This year was no different, with a total of 32 medals across the two days of action at EIS Sheffield, including 15 members being named as National Champion after a string of impressive bouts.
Those performances culminated in the club being awarded the Advanced Team Award at the end of Day One, with their 21-medal haul eclipsing the rest of the competition, as their reputation as a conveyor belt for the next generation of Kyorugi talent continues to shine through.
A further eleven medals followed in Sunday's action, leaving Moores taking home the Overall Team Award to add to his teams' silverware collection following a successful weekend of action in Yorkshire.
When asked what his secret is, he said: "We try and deliver a high standard of Taekwondo across the board, from beginners to advanced, across general Taekwondo to Poomsae and Kyorugi. We try and keep the coaches' standards and training up to date.
"We try and attend as many training camps, training development opportunities, competitions as we can. We try and cater for everyone in the club at every different level. I think that's what probably sets us apart, I think. We try and give every opportunity for the students to succeed.
"We ensure the training is sufficient, there's enough of it, it's hard enough, technical enough. Also, it's important that the coaches are aiming for the same goal."
Among the NTC contingent to strike gold were Sariah Lamotte-Kwarteng (-32kg Female), Sam Taylor (-48kg Male), Zaac Quah (-33kg Male), as well as Harry Callender (+65kg) who continues to excel on the big stage this year.
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Mia Parn (-55kg Female), Oakley Wright (-74kg), Pameer Kakar (-49kg Male), Alex Sherratt (-58kg Male) and Ismail Abedlazim (-80kg Male) also ended the day as National Champions, with a number of strong performances throughout.
Callender and Kakar are both set to represent Great Britain at the 2025 Cadet European Championships next month, with the best young talent ready to compete in Athens, Greece from 6–8 November 2025.
With a gold medal round their necks from a competitive weekend of action, the duo have had the perfect preparation for testing themselves on the continental stage in the weeks to come, while Moores was also pleased with his squad's performance as a whole.
"I think it's quite important for them [Callender and Kakar] to show development and to achieve National Champion status. It also helps towards preparation for selection and for major events.
"I think the majority of them impressed me across the board, just demonstrating some high-level Taekwondo."
While the Advanced members of the squad are already competing around the World and earning a reputation for themselves, the success of the NTC novices also proved the future is bright for Moores and his members.
Sofia Landa (+30kg Female), Leighton Duong (-29kg Male), Natan Benyhamer (-63kg Male), Mariam Noor (-49kg Female) and Yousof Elzokm (-44kg Male) all became National Champions during Sunday's session to start to prove themselves as stars of the future, while Veteran Tyrone Robinson (-80kg Male) completed the set.
For those that are just starting out in the sport, performing on the highest stage will be a massive boost to their confidence and prospects for the future, and Moores was keen to point out what a great learning curve the event had been for a number of his squad.
He continued: "Obviously, it's the start of their journey, so it's good for them to see also the advanced kids fighting from all around the UK, but also from their own club.
"They have peers they look up to, the coaches, the training partners. It's good for them to see the higher ones achieving goals as well."
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