15/07/2026
Dear Taekwondo Community,
On behalf of adidas | Combat League Australia, it is with great pleasure to announce the outstanding athletes and trophy recipients who competed on Sunday 12th July, at the adidas | Combat League Australia NSW Championship 2026 Round 2 competition.
These awards recognise the athletes who demonstrated exceptional skill, courage, determination and sportsmanship throughout the competition.
COURT 1
Best Male Kyorugi – Joint Winner
Competitor: Logan Gardiner
Club: SGMA
Logan competed across multiple divisions and delivered an outstanding performance in every match. His determination, composure and consistent fighting ability earned him gold in both divisions, making him a deserving joint recipient of the Court 1 Best Male Kyorugi award. Logan’s performance in Round 2 came off the back of an exceptional performance in Round 1 and we can’t wait to see what he brings to Round 3 Grand Final on November 29th.
Best Male Kyorugi – Joint Winner
Competitor: Mikele Chironi
Club: Pinnacle Martial Arts Academy
Mikele displayed tremendous skill, resilience and fighting spirit throughout multiple divisions. He approached every match with confidence and determination, producing a series of impressive performances and demonstrating why he was equally deserving of the Court 1 Best Male Kyorugi award. Mikele has also continued through from Round 1 to Round 2 and displayed consistency in his matches between Rounds and we are super excited to see what he brings to Round 3 Grand Final come November 29th.
Best Female Kyorugi
Competitor: Carmen Kennedy
Club: Southern Stars Taekwondo
Competing in one of the final divisions of the day, Carmen maintained her focus and fought exceptionally well through each stage of the competition. She showed great composure, determination and technical ability to reach the final, where she secured a well-earned gold medal, we look forward to seeing Carmen do her thing again in on 29th November.
COURT 2
Best Male Kyorugi
Competitor: Benjamin Darwich
Club: Ying Yang Taekwondo Academy
Benjamin competed in one of the largest and most competitive divisions of the tournament. He worked his way through multiple demanding matches, displaying excellent stamina, determination and fighting ability before reaching the final and securing a thoroughly deserved gold medal – well done Benjamin! See you at the Grand Final.
Best Female Kyorugi
Competitor: Indie Pearson
Club: Haktari Taekwondo Academy
Indie demonstrated tremendous heart, confidence and outstanding technique throughout her performance. She remained composed and determined during her match, using her skills effectively to secure the victory and take home a well-earned gold medal. Thank you Indie and the Haktari family for travelling the distance to be with us at every round.
COURT 3
Best Male Kyorugi
Competitor: Ali Ahmad
Club: Pinnacle Martial Arts Academy
Ali displayed tremendous tenacity, effort and fighting spirit throughout his performance. He continued to apply pressure, remained determined during every exchange and demonstrated the courage and perseverance expected of an outstanding Kyorugi athlete. Keep up the great work Ali, you are a star!
Best Female Kyorugi
Competitor: Ainsley Krause
Club: Martial Arts Spirit
Although Ainsley did not take home the win, she produced one of the most courageous performances of the tournament. Facing a larger opponent, she displayed exceptional spirit and determination from the opening moments until the end of the match. Her efforts kept the contest tied and forced it into a deciding third round, earning her the Best Female Kyorugi award for Court 3. Ainsley’s trophy win is proof that respect, self-discipline, honour and sportsmanship are worth more than the actual match win itself. Thank you Martial Arts Spirit for supporting grassroots athlete development in our great state – see you at the Grand Final 29th November.
We are also proud to announce the recipients of the following Round 2 awards:
BEST MALE POOMSAE
Competitor: Xavier Schellack
Club: Taekwondo World
Xavier delivered a polished and confident performance, demonstrating excellent technique, balance, precision and focus. His commitment to every movement and strong overall presentation made him a deserving recipient of the Best Male Poomsae award.
BEST FEMALE POOMSAE
Competitor: Thea Mae Del Rosario
Club: Taekwondo World
Thea displayed excellent control, accuracy and composure throughout her performance. Her attention to detail, strong technique and confident presentation reflected the dedication behind her preparation and earned her the Best Female Poomsae award.
OVERALL TEAM TROPHY
Club: Kyu Taekwondo
HIGHEST PARTICIPATION
Club: Kyu Taekwondo
REFEREE EXCELLENCE AWARD
Referee: Randall Yanai
Club: SGMA
Randall demonstrated professionalism, fairness and sound judgement throughout the competition. His calm presence and commitment to maintaining a safe and positive environment for every athlete made him a deserving recipient of the Best Referee award – in addition to this he jumped onto the mats for competition Kyorugi throughout the day, switching between competing and officiating.
BEST CLUB POOMSAE – 1ST PLACE
Club: Taekwondo World
Taekwondo World delivered an excellent collective performance, with its athletes demonstrating strong preparation, technical quality and consistency across the Poomsae competition and deservingly took home 1st Place as the best club for Poomsae. We look forward to what they bring to the Grand Final in November.
BEST CLUB POOMSAE – 2ND PLACE
Club: Kyu Taekwondo
Kyu Taekwondo earned second place through a series of dedicated and impressive performances. The efforts of its athletes reflected the club’s commitment to developing strong and confident Poomsae competitors and flowed on from Round 1 and we can’t wait to see what they bring to Round 3 Grand Final come 29th November!
BEST CLUB KYORUGI – 1ST PLACE
Club: Irontiger Australia
Irontiger Australia produced an outstanding team performance across the Kyorugi competition. Its athletes competed with skill, courage and determination, earning the club first place and the title of Best Club Kyorugi for Round 2 – see you November 29th as we raise the stakes!
BEST CLUB KYORUGI – 2ND PLACE
Club: Kyu Taekwondo
Kyu Taekwondo secured second place following a strong and consistent showing from its Kyorugi athletes. Their collective effort, fighting spirit and competitive performances were an outstanding representation of the club continuing on with the consistency displayed in Round 1, see you November 29th!
APPRECIATION AWARDS
We are proud to present a token of our appreciation to all of the amazing clubs that continue to support the adidas | Combat League Australia NSW 2026 Championship with a Round 2 plaque issued by the league with gratitude:
• Haktari Taekwondo Academy
• Irontiger Australia
• Kyu Taekwondo
• Martial Arts Spirit
• MQU Macquarie Uni Team
• Pinnacle Martial Arts Academy
• Power with Purpose Tae Kwon Do
• Prodigy Martial Arts AU
• Red Dragon Taekwondo
• Southern Stars Taekwondo
• St.George Martial Arts
• Taekwondo World
• Taya Taekwondo
• Toogee Martial Arts
• University of Technology Sydney
• Ying Yang Taekwondo Academy
EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE AWARD
Club: Taya Taekwondo
Taya Taekwondo put in a fantastic, hardworking performance at the competition to secure 3rd place for BEST CLUB KYORUGI. With their Head Coaches Natalia and Edwin making the huge effort to land back in Sydney the morning of the competition, they headed directly to the venue in Penrith and the team held themselves with absolute dignity and professionalism throughout the day.
BEST COACH AWARD
Coach: Master Peter Vassily
Club: Prodigy Martial Arts
Coach Peter worked on and off the court from the minute he arrived to the venue to ensure his team were fully prepared for their matches and with a sizeable team with him and few coaches to assist him, Coach Peter was a standout on the day taking care of his athletes in the warm-up area and on the courts. It was a difficult decision as we witnessed so many passionate and hard working coaches throughout the day, however in Round 2, Coach Peter takes home the award.
Each club played an important role in making the adidas | Combat League Australia 2026 NSW Taekwondo Championship Round 2 a successful, positive and memorable event and we sincerely appreciate the commitment of every Master, coach, athlete, parent, volunteer and supporter who contributed to the day. Once again we thank you and appreciate you all for seeing the vision we have for our young students as we are all about encouraging them to have a go in a safe, fun, exciting – and rewarding environment. Together, we will continue to nurture and develop our NSW athlete talent pool through increased competition participation at the grassroots level – these little ones are the future of our beloved sport and we must guide them to a successful future.
We will arrange for all trophies and awards to be distributed this Sunday (a CLA team member will be in touch with the winners for delivery details) and we ask each recipient to take a photo holding their trophy and medals alongside their coaches and teammates so we can celebrate and share their achievements across our social media platforms with the wider Taekwondo community.
Thank you to all Clubs, Masters, Coaches, Referees, Parents, Students, Volunteers and Spectators for continuing to support adidas | Combat League Australia and our mission to develop Australia’s grassroots Taekwondo talent. Your support allows young athletes to gain invaluable mat time, develop confidence, experience competition in a safe and positive environment and prepare for the greater challenges ahead of them.
Congratulations once again to all our Round 2 award recipients and participating clubs and we are super excited to see you at the adidas | Combat League Australia 2026 NSW Championship – Grand Final on Sunday 29th November 2026.
With gratitude,
Master George Nissirios
adidas | Combat League Australia
League Director
Ms Jacky Nissirios
adidas | Combat League Australia
Event Director
