New Zealand Selection Trials for Oceania Championships

Oceania Taekwondo Championships

The 2nd annual WTF Oceania Taekwondo Championships will be held in Auckland on the 26th August marking the first ever WTF sanctioned international event of it’s kind ever to be held in New Zealand.

The WTF recognized national member association ‘Taekwondo New Zealand’ (TNZ), held it’s selection trials for the Oceania Championships in Dunedin on the 10th June right in the middle of a freezing cold winter blast that was gripping the country at the time. Run in conjunction with the South Island Championships TNZ hosted over 30 top senior Taekwondo players who competed in the five male and female weight categories to be contested at the Oceania Championships.

While the countryside was freezing up outside, the action inside was hot and the National Selectors were very pleased with the competitiveness of the players and the improved standard of fighting. Junior players had already been selected based on the selection trial results for the New Zealand Junior Representative team already in preparation for the upcoming WTF Junior World Championships. So it was over to the senior players to prove their worth and fight for a position on the hotly contested New Zealand Team.

TNZ in conjunction with the Oceania Taekwondo Union (O.T.U.) is committed to the development of the Olympic Sport of Taekwondo in the Oceania region and 14 countries will send full squads to the Oceania Championships in August.

Each country will enter two players in each weight category in both the senior and junior divisions so it is expected that there will be up to 250 players at the Oceania Championships. The results of the New Zealand selection trials held on the 10th June are as follows: –

Mens Heavyweight Over 82Kgs    (Region)
1) Michael Marsh            Auckland
2) Dafydd Sanders            Auckland
3) Hayden Fraser            Waikato

Mens Middleweight 72><82Kgs
1) Stephen Rickard            Wellington
2) Carl Van Roon            Auckland
3) Nick Barret            Bay of Plenty

Mens Lightweight 63><72 Kgs
1) Logan Campbell            Auckland
2) Alan Brian                Christchurch
3) Andrew Brooks            Wellington

Mens Bantamweight 54><63Kgs
1) Malcolm Tester            Wellington
2) Sanjesh Singh            Auckland
3) Arman Abdi            Wellington

Womens Heavyweight Over 68 Kgs
1) Hope Fairless            Auckland
2) Nikki Miller            Auckland
3) Kathy Bell                Auckland

Womens Middleweight 61><68 Kgs
1) Farah Robinson            Wellington

Womens Lightweight 54><61Kgs
1) Eleanor Currie            Bay of Plenty
2) Aroha Miller            Christchurch
3) Rebecca Waru            Auckland

Womens Bantamweight 47><54 Kgs
1) Leanne Stoutley            Auckland
2) Miwah Van            Auckland
3) Lauren Russell            Otago

Womens Finweight Under 47Kgs
1) Andrea Kilday            Auckland

Photos from the Selection Trials

Photos courtesy of Antony Lyon, [email protected]


Diana Kasad of (St Lukes) Thwarts Miwah Van's (Alliance) spinning back kick attempt  – Womens Bantam Weight division  47-54 KG semi final


Miwah Van heads toward the floor


Amanda Ah-Chong (Invercargill) utilises her flexibility to lift an outer crescent kick at Tracey Coleman (Wellington) during fight two of the Woman's Lightweight Division 54-61KG)


Alliance's Nicki Miller delivers a well-timed round hit to the head of Kathy Bell (Auckland) during fight one of the Women's Heavy Weight Division 68KG+


Sanjesh Singh (Alliance) mis-judged the moment and a hook kick to the family jewels from Desmond Allen of St Lukes – fight one Mens Batam Weight Division 54-63KG


Desmond Allen throws his weight as Sanjesh Singh's ankle gives out


Alistair Smith of Invercargill drops the hammer on Clement Richmond of Putauaki – fight 2 Mens Batam Weight Division 54-63KG


Nick Barrett of Tauranga slams a side kick through Carl Vanroon's (Auckland) defences – Fight one Men's Middle Weight Division 72-82KG


Sanjesh Singh (Alliance) calculates the attack of Alistair Smith (Invercargill) in the Mens Bantam Weight semi final.

Article written by Matt Ransom