The Kenya Defence Forces overcame strong opposition to emerge winners of the KDF Taekwondo Chairman's Cup 2018, at a tournament held at Embakasi Garrison Nairobi.
KDF managed the top position overall among nine teams, which included their habitual opponents the National Police Service (NPS) and the National Youth Service (NYS).
The second position overall was taken by the National Youth Service while Regional, a non-uniformed team, came third.
In the weight category ranking, KDF teams won both position one and two in the Men's Upper Division with National Police Service ending up third.
KDF again showed might by topping the women in the same category while Police and Prisons were second and third respectively.
KDF shared the spoils in the Lower Division Category where the men came third behind Team Mansule from Kibabii University and Regional from Nairobi.
The women too took third position after NYS and National Police Service. In the women's finals matches, in the Lower Division NYS beat Police 44-30 points, while in the upper division KDF edged out Police with a points difference of 33 (51-18).
This match proved to be the most exciting of the day and the climax of the tournament, after the upper men's division saw two KDF teams meet in the final, forcing the referees to call off the match.
The lower men's division saw Regional who beat KDF in the semi finals win over Team Mansule from Kibabii University 25-19.
Speaking at the event, Commander Artillery Brigade Brigadier Isaac Muchendu appreciated all the participants and organisers for providing an exciting day, mentioning that he was glad that the sport of taekwendo had grown massively within the country.
Brigadier Muchendu was thankful that Embakasi Garrison had been chosen to host the event, citing that the same hall where the bouts were organised was the original home of taekwondo within KDF in the early 80s.
"I would also like to mention the importance of sports in bringing people together, and I am glad that despite all of you being from different teams, you have displayed maximum sportsmanship, friendship and discipline as you competed amongst yourselves," he added.
He also lauded all the teams that had accepted to answer to the invite of being part of the tournament. Brigadier Muchendu also relayed the Defence Forces Taekwondo Asssociation Chairman and Moi Air Base Commander Brigadier Mohamed Badi's message to the participants, where Brigadier Badi praised the class of bouts that the fighters displayed.
Brigadier Badi also announced that the Chairman's Cup would be an annual event, that would be organised every May. He also thanked the Embakasi Garrison for stepping up and organising an impressive tournament.
The nine teams present were KDF, NPS, NYS, Kenya Prisons Service, Regional, Kilifi, Menengai, Team Mansule (Kibabii), USIU-Africa and Mtopanga from the Coast.
KDF teams used the tournament to prepare for upcoming World Taekwondo Military Championships that will be held in Brazil in the month of November among other upcoming national competitions. The Chairman's Cup was sponsored by Postbank.
Others present included Vice Chair of the Defence Forces Taekwondo Association Colonel Samuel Ondiro, Officers, officials from the Kenya Taekwondo Federation and KDF Service Personnel.