Inverness will welcome the best martial arts athletes on the planet when it hosts the World Tang Soo Do Championship
Inverness is set to welcome some of the best martial arts athletes on the planet when it hosts the World Tang Soo Do Championships this summer.
Over 350 martial arts athletes will be competing at the world championships which is set to take place at Inverness Leisure Centre from Friday, August 8 to Sunday, August 10.
The major international event is being organised by Scotland Tang Soo Do, and with the support businesses, it will be staged on brand-new equipment that will benefit the wider community for years to come.
A total of 288 new jigsaw mats have been purchased specifically for the championships, providing a safe and professional surface for the athletes.
After the event, the mats will be donated to High Life Highland, ensuring they continue to benefit the local community. They will be made available for use at Inverness Leisure, IRA Sports Centre, and Hilton Community Centre, supporting a wide range of clubs and activities.
World Championship committee director Kelly Murphy, who also represents Scotland Tang Soo Do and Inverness Tang Soo Do says it is will be an incredible three days for Inverness to host the World Tang Soo Do Championships in two months time.
She said: “We have hosted a European Championship in 1999 when there were 250 competitors taking part.
“The last world championships took place in 2023 in Florida and there will be over 100 more competitors taking part.
“Athletes from countries such as Malaysia, South Africa, United States and from across Europe will be represented at the tournament.
“To have so many athletes coming to Inverness to compete at the world championships is fantastic.”
Murphy runs Inverness Tang Soo Do at Hilton Community Centre and trains around 50 students. There are also clubs based in Alness and Culloden.
She hopes the world championships will see the number of people taking up Tang Soo Do grow in the future.
She said: “I think by holding the world championships in Inverness and in Scotland it will encourage more people to look at starting in the martial arts.
“As well as people from across the world taking part, spectators will be welcome to come along and watch the action for themselves.
“We are totally excited for the world championships taking place in August.”
