McKay heaps praises on World Champs fighters

BEAMING WITH pride, Jamaica’s combined martial arts team founder, Jason McKay, a former fighter now coach, has heaped praises on the six-man team, which won 12 medals, including seven gold, at the October 15-19 International Sports Kick-Boxing Association’s Amateur Member Association (ISKA AMA) World Championships 2025 in Brisbane, Australia.

Reflecting on Jamaica’s humble four-medal debut at the ISKA AMA World Championships in Holland 2012 at which Oshane Murray won gold, complemented by bronze medals from Adrian Moore and Nicholas Dusard and McKay himself, the combined martial arts team sponsor said he has since lost count of gold medals won at the tournament.

However, McKay is particularly proud of Jamaica’s dominance over United States fighters, whom he regards as among the best points-sparring martial artists in the world.

“The Americans are particularly good at points-sparring, which is the highlight of the annual International Sports Karate Association United States Open held annually in Orlando, Florida. It’s the sister association of the International Sports Kickboxing Association, both bodies now under one president, Corey Schafer,” McKay pointed out.

“At last week’s ISKA AMA World Championships, Akino Lindsay, Richard Stone, and Nicholas Dusard, three of the world’s top kickboxers, all beat fighters from the United States to win semi-contact gold, which is points-sparring.

“Sharic Bowen, the most junior member on the team, also won semi-contact gold against an American, fighting at his first ISKA AMA World Championships and second tour as a member of the combined martial arts team after debuting at July’s United States Open,” McKay emphasised.

Noting that the combined martial arts team first cut its teeth at the United States Open with two gold medals in 2006, Shawn Cummings in heavyweight continuous-sparring and two-man team-fighting won by Keith Edwards and McKay himself, the veteran fighter said Europe beckoned after Jamaica started dominating North America’s biggest martial arts open.

“Holland 2012 set the stage for a second generation of Jamaican fighters, who started dominating the ISKA AMA event, Kevin Brown’s silver in Cyprus 2013 and Kenneth Edwards won gold in Barcelona 2014 as Jamaica’s lone competitor.

“The championship is similar to the United States Open. However, unlike the US Open, participating countries are restricted to fielding one team in the ESPN-covered event,” he added.

A stickler for preparation, McKay said coach Claude Chin did a marvelous job in Brisbane, guiding Lindsay to a fifth consecutive double gold. However, he is concerned that Stone failed to complete the double for a second straight year, last striking it rich in Munich, Germany 2023.

“Special congratulations and appreciation to Claude Chin for his preparation of the team. I am particularly proud of Akino Lindsay, repeating his double-gold performance. I am elated with Sharrick Bowen on his first world championship medal and Nicholai Reid on winning gold again.

“Nicholas Dusard continues to amaze the world with his resilience, virtually self-coached, living overseas and not being able to attend training camps, but wins gold perennially.

“Adrian Moore also did well, medalling twice in back-to-back international tournaments, his first season in eight years. However, I will have to see what needs to be changed in Richard Stone’s preparation as it relates to continuous sparring. It is remarkable that he came back to win bronze after a blow that gave him a concussion, but we need to take measures to avoid him being hit that hard in the future.”

Ainsley Walters