Jamaica Beverages’ Steve Dawkins (left) outlines his company’s sponsorship of Jamaica’s combined martial arts team, the Busta Fighters, during a press conference to announce the team’s 2010 itinerary at the company’s Naggo Head, Portmore, offices. Looking on are combined team captain, Jason McKay (centre) and coach Claude Chin. (Contributed photo)

Jamaica’s combined martial arts team last Monday announced its 2010 itinerary and also introduced new member Scott Wright in a press conference at sponsor Jamaica Beverages’ Naggo Head, Portmore, offices.

The combined team’s opening assignment for 2010 will be the March 14 Tri-Asian Championship in Vietnam where they will go up against the hosts and Poland.

However, the feather in Jamaica’s cap is the local staging of the ISKA-sanctioned World Busta Continental Gold Cup, set for the National Indoor Sports Centre on July 4.

World continental martial arts champions from five countries are set to descend on the National Indoor Sports Centre for the ISKA Gold Cup – the first major international martial arts tournament in the Corporate Area in decades.

The Gold Cup is a final in which the winning nations from the various continents meet in team-sparring action.

The finalists are New Zealand from the Pacific region, Japan from Asia, Argentina from South America whereas Canada are North America’s representatives and Jamaica complete the line-up as hosts.

Less than a week later, the team departs for the ISKA US Open in Orlando, Florida, where they will seek a fourth straight hold on the Busta World Continental Team Fighting Championship.

Jamaica Beverages and the combined team are particularly enthused with the staging of the ISKA Gold Cup.

The local martial arts community has, for years, targeted ISKA, the world’s biggest promoter of sports karate, to host a world tournament in Jamaica.

Jamaica’s overall martial arts performance on the international scene, especially the combined team’s success, played a major role in ISKA granting Jamaica hosting rights.

The tournament is expected to draw a full house of 5,000 at the Indoor Sports Centre and, according to combined team captain, Jason McKay, should be the template for Jamaica hosting on a five-year plan.

McKay said security issues had also prevented the Corporate Area from being granted a franchise.

“That was a concern but Jamaica hosting a number of other international events in the Corporate Area in recent years has made it possible,” he pointed out.

“I do believe that sports tourism has a place in Kingston, as opposed to other cities I have been to. I believe we have a lot to offer and sports, on a whole, has a lot to offer,” he added, pointing out that applications had been previously made to host International Taekwondo Federation events but only the ISKA had responded favourably.