Five students from Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana (UKDW) Yogyakarta’s Taekwondo Student Organization (UKM), along with two athletes from the UKDW Taekwondo Pro Team, earned impressive achievements at the 11th Mayor’s Cup Taekwondo Championship 2024. The competition, held at Amongraga Sports Hall from October 25-26 and organized by the Yogyakarta Regional Taekwondo Board, drew top competitors vying for the prestigious Mayor’s Cup. The UKDW team secured five medals: 2 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze.
Gold medalists included Steven Michael Arbyanto and Bintang Holy Junior, both from the Divinity Studies Department, who excelled in the Men’s Senior Poomsae category. Silver medals were awarded to Stefanus Adrian Kurniawan from the Informatics Department in Men’s Senior Poomsae, and Adrianus Drasa from the Management Department in the U54Kg Kyorugi (sparring) category. Tirsa Deby Budiman, an English Education major, earned a bronze in the U57Kg Kyorugi category.
For Tirsa, this tournament marked her debut competition. Reflecting on the experience, she shared that her limited preparation led to some nerves, especially when facing more experienced opponents. However, her achievement left her with a sense of euphoria and accomplishment. “I’m proud to have stepped out of my comfort zone, overcome my fears, and challenged myself,” Tirsa remarked, noting that this tournament was a milestone in her journey as a taekwondo athlete.
UKDW’s UKM Taekwondo and the Pro Team entered this championship to prepare future members for the Pro Team and to serve as a platform for performance evaluation and selection as the team enters a new training period. [humasukdw/trans.drr]