Trinidad and Tobago won two gold and two silver medals at the Biig International Barbados Beach Wrestling Open, held at Brandon’s Beach in Barbados over the weekend.
Twelve-year-old Che’don Grant (100lbs) and Kaylon Khan (170lbs), 16, won their respective age group finals over Bajan opposition.
Additionally, 18-year-old Joshua Cooper (185lbs) and lone female TT representative Renee Fortune (150lbs) earned silver. Both were outwrestled by Bajan opponents in their title matches.
Fortune was initially carded to compete in the girls’ under-13 division, but there were no other competitors in this class, so she opted to contest the under-17 division, where she did well to snag silver.
All four wrestlers hail from Southern Warriors from Mixed Martial Arts in Marabella. They are coached by instructor Kerry Grant.
On his team’s performance, Grant was elated.
[caption id="attachment_1046415" align="alignnone" width="802"] Trinidad and Tobago's Kaylon Khan (R) shows off his 16 and under gold medal at the Biig International Barbados Beach Wrestling Open over the weekend. -[/caption]
“I am satisfied and very proud of my team. They would have put in the work, as this event would have had a lot more competitors from across the globe. For us to go out there and be among some of the best senior and junior athletes and pull off these type of results, it really had me feeling proud – not only because of the team’s achievements, but the fact that I was given the opportunity by the parents of the athletes to trust me to take their children out there, up against the world’s best.”
Grant said this was his team’s fourth appearance at the annual event. They have won medalsat every edition.
He added that the quartet has been training two-three times a day, four-five days a week for the past three months as preparation.
This event is held annually by the Barbados Olympic Association Incorporated, which plays host to an array of Olympic sports over a seven-day period.
Grant thanked the athletes’ parents and the club for helping fund this trip. He said the Southern Warriors from Mixed Martial Arts is the only school in Trinidad that teaches real competitive wrestling.
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