Tyrone Courier - Sports - Back-to-back titles for two of Ren Bu Kan fighters

Sports

Back-to-back titles for two of Ren Bu Kan fighters

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

AIDAN Hanna and Paul McConville both won gold at the National Championships in Galway at the weekend to emulate their performances from last year when they both won gold.
The two fighters were the only competitors from the Dungannon club taking part in the championships with one of last years champions Jonathan Herron now studying in England not available.
Forty-six-year-old Paul who is a 5th Dan black belt won the veterans event for over thirty year olds in fine style winning all his fights with ippon (inside the distance).Since joining the Ren Bu Kan club in Dungannon three years ago from his former club in Newry, Paul has won two National titles as well as the Irish Open. He now resides with his wife in Stewartstown
Twenty five year old Aidan Hanna who is a 1st Dan won his first two fights against other 1st Dans to reach the semi final where he came up against a 3rd Dan from Dublin. After about four minutes into the fight Aidan threw the Dublin based Frenchman with a beautiful throw for ippon. In the final he was up against 6th Dan Paul Cummins from Dublin. Paul is a very seasoned fighter and has been Irish champion many times and is a former International. He is one of only four 6th Dans in Ireland( Aidan's coach Harry McGuigan is one of the four). Even though Cummins is in his forties now he was expected to win with his vast experience but Aidan hadn't read the script and half way into the fight he caught the Dubliner with a huge throw to send him crashing to the mat for ippon.
Before this competition Aidan was only ten points short of the hundred he needed towards his 2nd Dan and he scored forty points on the way to be crowned Irish National champion and is now also a 2nd Dan.
These wins further stretch Harry's record of producing consecutive national champions to 38 years since his own and Avril Malley's wins back in 1974 a record which no club in Ireland is even near to equalling.
Even though he is very happy with his latest champions Harry is disappointed that he has lost the services of many of his young black belts and Irish champions whom he has trained from childhood such as Brian McGilloway , Daniel Grimley and Ciaran Little who have retired from the sport while eleven times champion Michael Kavanagh is in Canada, Jonathan Herron is studying in England and Mindaugus Markauskas has returned to Lithuania. Sarah and Rachel Hawkes due to financial strain couldn't continue to make the round trip from Omagh twice a week and have returned to the Omagh club. Janis Sumanis has been out for the past year with a knee injury he sustained while playing roller hockey. However Harry hopes to rebuild his senior squad and with Aidan Hanna and Paul McConville getting results like this and new kid on the block Jaroslaw Slowik showing great potential things look promising and along with the massive success the junior club is having Ren Bu Kan will remain as one of the top clubs in Ireland.
For details of the club ring Harry on 07779245925 or write to hrenbukan@hotmail.com.