The United Martial Arts Academy held its annual tournament at the Thornbury Centre Bradford inspired by the Paris Olympics where the Great Britain Taekwondo Team competed for medals at the Grand Palais in Paris from 7-10 August 2024.

Parvez Akhtar who organized the Taekwondo event said: “The competition was a huge success and attracted students from a variety of schools across the Bradford district.

“It’s great to see so many kids taking part and winning trophies, and the memories will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

“And you never know one day we might see someone from Bradford competing for Great Britain at the Olympic Games. Until then we will all be supporting the Great Britain Olympic team going forward.

‘Zam’, a National Taekwondo Champion and coach at the Bradford centre, said: “The main goal of our Taekwondo competitions is to help martial arts students build their confidence and to test their combat skills in a controlled yet challenging environment.

“Also, it gives the students an opportunity to compete and become home grown champions preparing them for national and international competitions.

“The competition process is probably the best way to test and develop yourself in any sport.

“I remember travelling the country to compete, staying in hotels and watching what I ate because of weight cut, which wasn’t easy now looking back.

“Good discipline was required, and although it was tough at points, it was truly an amazing experience.”