No reason Taekwondo world championship's couldn't be held in Newry 

IN the wake of it being announced that  Newry Leisure Centre will play host to this year’s Taekwondo Ulster Championship’s Cathal Fegan has stated that there is no reason why the city could not facilitate  a world championship tournament.

  Mr Fegan, who is the instructor of his eponymous school of Taekwondo, made the comment in the wake of his lifelong ambition of hosting a championship tournament within the leisure centre being fulfilled.

 Whilst the Silverbridge GAA clubhouse had served as the venue for the event in years past attracting a host  of competitors from across the island of Ireland it was not ideal in seeing Cathal’s vision of a large scale taekwondo tournament which showcased the sport he loves to as many people as possible through to fruition.

 This is a task for which in Mr Fegan’s opinion the Newry Leisure Centre is much better suited. 

Buzzing

“We are buzzing. From day one this has been our goal” said Cathal. We finally told the kids that this is happening and a lot of them are buzzing. We have been talking about it for so long and we have always said next year  we will have it, next year we will have it. Now they finally have heard me say we are going to hold the Ulster's in Newry this year. This is great.  

“Two weeks ago I had a meeting with the head of the leisure complex. Aidan Mathers arranged this meeting. He put it towards him that this has to happen in Newry and it cannot go another year with it not being in Newry for a number of reason’s

“From day one this has been our goal. I had a vision. It kept getting put back and I just wanted to showcase it, bring it to a bigger venue, try to grow it and show people that potentially the European championships could be held in Newry because the facilities are there for it. We can now break the barrier down, advertise it as much as we can and get local people who are not involved in Taekwondo to come in and see what it is all about.”

Four Rings

As Cathal explains the hosting of the Ulster Championships in Newry Leisure Centre will enable more fights and patterns to be held simultaneously, which is necessary considering the fact that the number of competitors in the contest keeps growing perpetually year on year. 

“It is a bigger venue than Silverbridge and we can have four rings, in the past we were holding three rings.This will be a faster day for everyone as well. Hopefully we can grow this to more rings.

“The most I have ever seen in a tournament was eight rings in Cork City but you are talking 500 competitors. There is nothing stopping us in the future doing stuff like this.

“Usually we have it in December but we are going to try and have it in May to try and attract more people because we believe it is a better time of year to have it.

“The Ulster Championships are growing each year and the most recent event attracted 160 competitors. If it keeps growing we are going to try and push it for at least 200.  We are back from Tipperary and they had 240 competitors for their local tournament. There were a lot of people from Cork who would travel to the Tipperary but they don't travel to the north. I promoted it in Tipperary for all these different coaches and clubs to try and come up.”

         Economic Benefit

As is the case with any sporting event of renown the number of competitors and spectators which will be attracted by the event will serve to the benefit of the local economy.

“Myself and all of my students in Tipperary we stayed over in a hotel. We ate food in the local pub, we went to a local shop beforehand to get water. People who are travelling from the south will be staying in the Canal Court, the Mourne B and B, the Flagstaff and Air B and B's 

“We had a chat with local cafe in the leisure centre. They are going to arrange something special on the day as well. If we have 150 competitors the same as the last time and they are bringing two or three parents, friends and family. The cafe, the sports centre, deli lights will benefit from it. 

 “The next European Championships will be held in July 2027 in Germany. After this they will announce where the next one will be . My plan is if the Ulster's go well in May I am going to invite over the President of Europe for Taekwondo to the event in Newry with his students to show him what the potential is here and who knows it could be held in Newry in the near future after this.  

“There would usually be around 1000 competitors who go the Europeans. It is a six day event so they have to stay in their city our surrounding town. It is a lot of money being brought in from this.

“The next Europeans after 2027 will be three years. There will be nothing to stop the sport being built in Ireland and then bringing it to a world championship.”