Lindsay chasing the one that got away

JAMAICA’s MOST decorated martial artist, 30-year-old Waterhouse native Akino Lindsay, honoured last year in Vienna, Austria, by Europe’s International Sport Kick Boxing Association (ISKA) Amateur Members Association for winning eight individual gold medals in tatami (mat fighting) at its World Championship, has a score to settle with history at this week’s US Open in Orlando, Florida.

Lindsay, who further engraved his name in ISKA Europe history by winning a fourth double-gold in Vienna last year for 10 consecutive gold medals at its world championships, badly wants to win gold at the US Open’s televised Night of Champions in its International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) World Championship bout this Saturday.

On his first attempt, Lindsay, who holds a US Open record of winning four gold medals at a single championship, 2018, lost Night of Champions 2022 to countryman Nicholas Dusard, a multiple gold-medal winner and Jamaica’s most decorated fighter at the US Open.

Intent on adding a Night of Champions trophy to his cabinet last year, Lindsay was all set to face Irishman Leard Xheladini, who had beaten his teammate, Richard Stone, in the first round of the 2023 ITF World Championships in Finland.

In a twist of fate, Lindsay was grounded in Jamaica by Hurricane Beryl, whereas Stone, who was flown in to compete in continuous and points sparring after the storm passed, was thrown in as a replacement for Dusard, who was all set to substitute for Lindsay.

Ironically, Stone, coached by Dusard, scored an upset Night of Champions win over Xheladini, his second consecutive victory after defeating the United States’ Sheldon Spencer in 2023.

Having watched his countrymen leave the Night of champions stage as US Open ITF World Champions, Lindsay said he wants to fit that piece of the puzzle into his résumé.

“I have seen Stone win twice, Dusard winning twice, Ackeem Lawrence twice, Kennneth Edwards and Sheckema Cunningham once, I need to get this one,” said the fighter, who is internationally feared for his tenacity.

“I will be fighting a Pole, Filippos Filippidis, an ITF European champion. This guy is really good. He is also a WAKO (World Association of Kickboxing Organizations) champion,” Lindsay added.

Representing Poland’s Team Dolny Slask at the 2023 Dutch Open, regarded as ‘as a mini European Championship’, Filippidis won both his team bout as well as the overall class.

The Us Open starts this Thursday and ends with Saturday’s Night of Champions at the Coronado Resort in Orlando, Florida.