GOLD! --- BELGIUM OPEN CHAMPION

I competed on the first day of the competition held in Herentals, Belgium in the light weight category (-63kgs).The total competition consisted of 778 competitors with national teams from Venezuela, Spain, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Brazil, Sweden, Argentina, Peru, Ukraine, Austria, Poland and more.

I had five fights and below is a detailed report on how it all went. GOLD GOLD GOLD!

1 = SWITZERLAND
Score: Australia 8 – Swiss 2(-1)

This fight was full of surprises. I had video footage of this player from the Dutch Open so I sort of knew the game plan she had. Once I was out there I was able to control the match and score points on her in each round. Perhaps I was a bit rusty in the first round but by the last I had seemed to settle in. Unfortunately not all fights are with fair play and the frustration of the Swiss girl was taken out on my face when she punched it in round 3. It earned her an immediate full one point penalty and left my poor teeth partly chipped…(CALL A DENTIST!) I guess a little aggression goes along way and I kicked her in the head twice that round, one right on the buzzer to make it 8-1.

2 = BELGIUM
Score: Australia 3 – Belgium 0

There isn’t all that much to report on this fight. I felt I held back a bit on this fight and could have really unleashed some awesome taekwondo (a flash back to the Dutch open). But I felt in control the whole time, stronger than the other player and scored the points where it counted.

3 = FRANCE
Score: Australia 8(-1) – France 6(-1)

Well I took one look at this girl and went, yup I’m going to kick your butt no problem! After-all she was shorter than me and alot stockier. But then we both got into the ring and it was a bit of a different story from round to round. 3-1 ten seconds prior to the end of the first round to France!!!!!OMG! …But never fear the head kicks were here, or there I should say and at the end of round one the scores were leveled 3-3. The same went on round by round, she would score and I would kick her in the head. I kicked her 4 times in the head and 3 of them scored.

4 = CROATIA
Score: Australia 10 – Croatia 9

To keep it short and simple. My mind didn’t want to play safe this fight, I wanted to win it so much that it ended up being action packed and nerve racking for others to watch. This fight went to a sudden death situation as scores were level, 9-9, at the end of the third. I have been in this situation a few times before and I didnt want to leave anything to chance. That day, my little book on success my mum gave me read, " Do it right the first time" and thats exactly what I went out and did. I scored a point 30 secs in without Croatia even flinching. It was a sweet victory against Ivana as there was no doubt who scored the golden 'kick'.

5 = GERMANY
Score: Australia 8(-1) – Germany 1

Even though the scores don’t show it, this was actually my hardest fight and most exciting also. I had never fought this German National Team player (Helena Fromm) before but I did see her win last years Korean Open in the division below mine, so I knew it was going to be a tough match. I didn’t lose focus or give it up after she scored a quick point. I worked out my distance to fight her and tactics to win the points and leveled the scores 1-1 at the end of the first round.
The fight started to take shape in the second round after I scored the following two points. Even though I was up I didn’t once underestimate her as a player and kept my head on the whole game, right down to the very last second.

Both the semi final and final were rewarding fights. They were fights that have rekindled my love for fighting and fights that I am so pleased to have won. Alhumdulliah

Podium Standings
1 Morgan, Tina, AUSTRALIA
2 Fromm, Helena, GERMANY
3 Jazbec, Ivana, CROATIA
3 Kusanic, Josipa, CROATIA