Five titles for Tralee martial artists at World Championships

TRALEE has four new world champions this week, including a double world champion, after the Blackbelt Martial Arts Academy won 18 medals, including five golds, at the World Martial Arts Organisation world championships held in Dublin last week. Under the tutelage of head coach Alan Guilfoyle, who won a gold and bronze medal, and assistant coach Ava Kelly, the 10-member Tralee party - Kerry’s only competitors at the Championships, pitted their skills against the best in the world, including fighters from the Britain, USA, Canada and South Africa. Ranging in age from 10 to 16 the Tralee medallists were Ally Guilfoyle (2 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze), Sean Sookarry (gold), Sinead Framthon (gold), Isabel Shaw (4 silver), Laura Talbot (silver), Luke Kerins (silver), Muireann White (bronze), Katelyn Diggins (bronze), Alan Guilfoyle )gold and bronze) and Kiara Framthon, who unfortunately didn’t claim a medal but competed with distinction.