NICHOLAI Reid, Richard Stone, Ackeem Lawrence, and female fighter Aneeke Brown, all medallists at last year’s International Sports Karate Association (ISKA) United States Open, won their respective adult black belt divisions during trials at the Jamaica Martial Arts Association headquarters on Sunday, February 11.

The four qualified among 15 fighters who will be sponsored for the July 4-6 event held annually at the Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Stone, who last year defeated the United States’ Sheldon Spencer in the International Taekwondo Federation bout staged during the
ESPN-televised Night of Champions, is a four-time US Open world champion and decorated ISKA fighter with seven Amateur Members Association (AMA) gold medals.

Stone got the better of Akino Lindsay in the heavyweight, male 18+ division to qualify as the sponsored fighter in that division.

However, Lindsay, Jamaica’s leading ISKA AMA fighter, with eight gold medals, similar to other non-winners at the qualifiers, has a chance of vying for five sponsored spots during the four-month training camp for the July 4-6 US Open.

More than 90 fighters participated in the fiercely contested qualifiers, ranging from 12-year-olds to adults, battling for 15 spots in male and female divisions, requiring no entry fee and was open to all martial arts schools, irrespective of art form.

Organiser Dr Jason McKay expressed pleasure for the turnout and spirit exhibited by the athletes.

“I am pleased to see the interest and passion demonstrated by the athletes in their efforts to qualify. Similar to last year, we opened the event to all martial arts schools and established a judges’ panel comprising a variety of arts to ensure a fair selection process,” McKay pointed out.

Last year, Jamaica’s combined martial arts team marked its return to the US Open by reaping 37 medals, including four senior gold, topped by Stone’s Night of Champions victory.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic halted Jamaica’s participation at the US Open, the world’s biggest martial arts tournament, the island had dominated the event in 2019 by winning 54 medals — 19 gold, 15 silver, and 20 bronze.