Broome’s first kickboxing tournament, the Tatami Cup, ready to kick off

Taewkondo Broome’s first sanctioned kickboxing tournament is set to kick off on Saturday, March 25.

The Tatami Cup will be held at the Broome Civic Centre and feature a host of fighters from a range of martial arts disciplines from around Broome and across the State.

They will fight under the same kickboxing rule set, with muay thai, kickboxing, karate, kung fu, jeet kune do and taekwondo fighters all stepping into the arena together.

Fighters will compete across 12 divisions in contact and point sparring. There will also be a longest flying side kick and highest jumping front kick event for juniors, youths and seniors.

The event has been sanctioned by Kickboxing Australia and feature multi-time regional kickboxing champion Leah Morrison, who will act as chief referee and will also host a seminar on March 23.

“She brings to Broome and this tournament a wealth of experience, being successful and winning many championships including world, European, British, Oceanic and Australian,” Taekwondo Broome head coach and Tatami Cup organiser Rob McGregor said.

“We are lucky to have her travelling to Broome for this event.”

Fighters from Broome Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the Broome Boxing Club will also provide entertainment during the breaks with demo bouts.

McGregor said this year’s Tatami Cup was just the beginning, with the Taekwondo master planning to continue to expand the event and cement it as a regular fixture on Broome’s sporting calendar.

“This will be an exciting day with plenty of action for competitors and spectators,” he said.

“We hope that this event becomes bigger and bigger each year.”

The Tanami Cup kicks off at 8am on Saturday, March 25, with tickets available at the door and food and drinks available to buy during the event.

For more information on the upcoming tournament and Taekwondo Broome, visit the Taekwondo Broome website.