Bridge pupils take second place with 18 medals at Kenyan Taekwondo Championships

28 September 2017

Pupils from Bridge Academy, Majengo Mapya recently competed in the Taekwondo Korean Ambassador Cup Primary Schools National Championships at the Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi, Kenya where they finished in second place.

This followed a County-level qualifying victory which saw them advance forwards to the National Championships representing Mombasa County, south-eastern Kenya.

The Championships were organised and attended by the South Korean Ambassador to Kenya, His Excellency Kwon Young-dae, who invited a total of 32 participating schools from across the country. Originating in South Korea, Taekwondo is a martial art characterised by an emphasis on head-height kicks, jumping and spinning kicks, and fast kicking techniques which make it very physically demanding.

The Bridge team won 18 medals in total: 2x Gold, 8x Silver and 8x Bronze, which placed them second on the day, narrowly losing out to Nairobi Country, who finished in first place.  

The team’s journey to the National Championships was an exciting one after they won 11 medals to become the Taekwondo Champions of Mombasa County – beating off competition from 16 other schools – including Ganjoni Primary School, who were defending their title.

Ten-year-old Bridge pupil Bahati Omar, who won a Bronze medal, said: “I am proud and grateful to Bridge for giving me the opportunity to nurture my skill in Taekwondo and compete against the best in Kenya.”

Bridge Academy, Majengo Mapya has developed an enviable record at Taekwondo since it was introduced to their school in 2015, improving with every year:

Year Competition Gold Silver Bronze Total
2015 Mombasa County Championships: 2nd Place 1 3 5 9
2016 Mombasa County Championships: 2nd Place 2 3 3 8
2016 National Championships: No podium finish 4 2 4 10
2017 Mombasa County Championships: 1st Place 6 2 5 11
2017 National Championships: 2nd Place 2 8 8 18

Chrispine Mwadime, Bridge Taekwondo team coach said: “I am really proud of what our pupils have achieved in Nairobi. They have been working really hard and the results show that this hard work has paid off. To be successful at Taekwondo you need to be very dedicated and the support these pupils have been given has enabled them to improve, and win!”

Bridge believe that co-curricular activities are an essential feature of a child’s education, helping them to develop leadership, confidence and team working skills that go on to help them both inside and outside of the classroom.

Across all of our schools, we offer pupil the opportunity to participate in a range of co-curricular activities including sports, music and dancing.

Find out more about our co-curricular activities, below:

Want more? Watch the incredible story of a six-year-old Ugandan Bridge pupil, Kitty Joyce Mary, whose passion for Chess led her from a co-curricular activity to representing her country:

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