A KEIGHLEY club have won 11 medals at the ITF Union Taekwondo World Championships in Sardinia, Italy.

The Taekwondo School of Excellence (TSX), whose main academy is based in Keighley, gained one gold, six silvers and four bronzes in the event.

The championships featured national teams from 60 countries around the world and included ages from 10 to 35 in the junior blackbelt, adult and the veteran blackbelt events.

Overall, Team England attained a huge 49 medals in their first appearance in the tournament, held every four years, which was formed in 2014.

Master Chris Beanland, who holds a 7th degree black belt in ITF Taekwondo and is a fully qualified international instructor, was immensely proud of his whole squad for participating in the competition.

He said: "It was based in almost a holiday resort and the organisers were brilliant.

"It was an awesome event, not just the winning but the taking part.

"The families and the other support we achieved was tremendous.

"We would go for squad meals and take up over half the restaurant.

"The weather was blistering hot too so overall it was a superb experience for us all."

Over the years, TSX, which include 12 taekwondo schools located throughout West Yorkshire and Lancashire, have produced a number of world, European and British champions in all competitive disciplines of ITF.

The classes feature self defence, conflict management, fitness coaching, competition training, anti-bullying courses and a weapons course.

All ages are welcome from four with their Tiny kwon-Do Dragons and all lessons are supervised by a team of experienced trainers.

Although the ITF Union Taekwondo is different from the version represented in the Olympics, Beanland thinks some of his members have what it takes to reach the peak of the sport.

He said: "We have several fighters who go train in Manchester where they have open days and that is more Olympic based.

"Matt Storey and Ellie Salmon, who gained both achieved silver and bronze, have been in the university and are preparing for their world championships next year.

"They are training five to six days a week and meet up with the England squad every two weeks.

"It is a big commitment but they are determined to reach the top."

The organisation has approximately 150 members throughout their several clubs.

Beanland thinks more people are taking up taekwondo in the areas which he represents as the sport has aimed to build on Jade Jones' gold medal success in Rio 2016.

But he would like to see schools incorporate the sport as it gives children benefits such as; self belief and control.

He said: "Taekwondo gives kids confidence, lifting their spirits by showing how good they can be.

"Teenagers gain so much respect, self-discipline is built.

"We don't necessarily teach them to fight back, its more about defence and not getting hit. We teach them how to block.

"It is an all-round fitness that you can do with another sport. Kids play football and do taekwondo, its similar to kickboxing.

"They should have it in schools, it would change the attitude of everybody."

TSX will next be in action at the ITF Union Open English Cup on November 16 at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre in Bradford.

For more information about the club, call Master Chris Beanland on 07779 596371.

The medallists from the World Championship event were: Zain Hussain (Keighley/Accrington) gold - patterns, silver - sparring; Yvie Ling - Hegarty (Keighley /Accrington) silver - sparring, bronze - patterns; Filip Pilarski (Keighley) silver - sparring;

Jonathan Shaw (Keighley/Accrington) silver - sparring, bronze - patterns; Matt Storey (Keighley/Accrington) silver - patterns, bronze - sparring; Ellie Salmon (Keighley) silver - patterns, bronze – sparring.