US Open Night of Champions a big draw – McKay

JASON MCKAY, founder of Jamaica’s combined martial arts team, yesterday said the annual International Sports Karate Association (ISKA) United States Open, held at the Coronado Springs Resort at Disney World, Orlando, Florida, is the single-biggest sponsorship McKay Security undertakes, outstripping its commitment to parish football and horse racing at Caymanas Park.

McKay, chief executive officer, McKay Security, pointed out that his firm has sponsored football nationally, pistol-shooting, and horse racing. However, he named martial arts, primarily the US Open, as the one that resonates most.

“Since 2006, the US Open, especially its ESPN-televised Night of Champions, has been the single-biggest promotion for McKay Security, annually, despite the size of other projects like football and horse racing,” McKay told The Gleaner on the eve of the event that attracts thousands of international participants, a massive economic boost to the Disney ecosystem, traditionally held during the American Independence holiday week of July 4.

Describing ISKA World President Corey Schafer as “a friend and collaborator,” McKay said, camaraderie aside, the US Open’s prestige as an international martial arts tournament is unmatched.

McKay Security sponsors the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) World Championship bout at the ISKA US Open Night of Champions, which has featured top Jamaican fighters such as Richard Stone, Nicholas Dusard, Ackeem Lawrence, Kenneth Edwards, Alrick Wanliss, and Sheckema Cunningham defeating international opponents.

“Despite the fact that Corey Schaefer runs the event and Jamaica and myself have had a long history with him, the harsh reality is that the US Open gives Jamaica and McKay Security an opportunity to get exposure on a massive medium, its Night of Champions, which simply cannot be topped,“ McKay explained.

Schafer has heaped praise on McKay Security’s sponsorship of the ITF World Championship bout and Jamaicans to the US Open as well as hosting the 2014 ITF World Cup and 2018 International Sports Kickboxing Association’s Amateur Members Association World Championships (tatami) at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

“We have always worked in support of ITF, and McKay has quite an impressive operation. The reality is when you’re looking to expand international events, you promote where people would like to go,” Schafer explained, pointing to the sure winner of hosting the annual US Open in Disney World, Orlando, Florida, pulling up to 4,000 competitors from 40 countries.

“One of the things we recognise is that the demographic of people involved in karate tournaments is family oriented, and we support that. Disney is the family travel capital of the universe, so if you want to attract people, make a tournament family friendly and at a place people want to go.”

ISKA, which operates in 55 countries on six continents, is a global leader in promoting, sanctioning, and regulating combat sports, as well as live martial arts events. It has formed media partnerships in broadcasting the US Open on ESPN, Glory World Series elite professional kickboxing on SPIKE TV, Strikeforce MMA on CBS, and Showtime, as well as K-1 USA and Chuck Norris’ World Combat League.