Shayanne Sarsoza
Fulham taekwondo star Shayanne Sarsoza will compete in a gruelling Boot Camp in Manchester this weekend as she looks to show the judges she has the X factor and win a spot on the Great Britain development team.
The 16-year-old has made it into the final round of the Fighting Chance tournament – an annual event that gives martial artists from all disciplines the chance to enter the GB Taekwondo Development Programme.
Shayanne has already represented her country at cadet and junior level going to both World and European championships so she will be no stranger to bowing into the taekwondo ring with all eyes on her in front of the GB coaches for the decisive boot camp.
The two-times H&F Junior Sports Personality of the Year winner has undergone a huge growth spurt in the last year and a half; moving into the under 46kg category where she hopes to have more medal success.
“This is a big weekend for Shayanne. She has been fighting for a number of years now and if she was to be selected for the GB development squad it would be a huge achievement. She has been training as hard as ever to be in the best possible shape for the two tough days ahead of her in Manchester this weekend,” said father and coach Saimoore.
Fulham coach goes international
Saimoore was recently selected to be a GB Cadet coach at the upcoming European Championships in October.
Two of his own fighters, Marvin Sabutanan, 12, and Enricas Luckauskas, 12, from his club Kixstar Dragon in Haldane Road, Fulham, were also called up for the tournament in Budapest after impressing at a selection competition in the summer.
“I am super excited and cannot wait for the tournament to start. I have been coaching for the last nine years so it is great to now be given a chance to coach for Great Britain,” added Saimoore.
The 4th Dan black belt founded Kixstar Dragon taekwondo club in 2008 with just 10 students at Norman Park Primary School before moving into their current home in Haldane Road where they have their own dojang (training hall) for their 80 students.
Tweet our H&F taekwondo star good luck @shaishaitkd ahead of her GB Boot Camp this weekend.
