#146: ITL Leads Humanitarian Foundation Team To Gold And Silver In Munich
It was a remarkable showing for Iron Taekwondo League (ITL) at the Munich Open in Germany, where our athletes led athletes of the Maltese Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) banner. Hand in hand, they delivered an outstanding performances across Kyorugi, Poomsae and Breaking.
With an impressive collection of gold and silver medals, individual trophies and memorable performances, our seven athletes combined their efforts to secure 3RD PLACE IN THE OVERALL TEAM RANKINGS!
The team was led by coaches Gianluca Barbara, Romano Biondi and Jovo Mirkovic, each of whom competed in their respective sets. Together they led THF athletes Anhelina Hladchenko, Sasha Slobodian and Luca Falzon, who represented the club as athletes. Child athlete Noah Barbara also traveled with the team and took part in the children’s kyorugi, poomsae and breaking category (separate to the THF).
The team was also joined by MTA President Anna Vassallo, who presented honours to all athletes local and foreign on the day.
NOAH BARBARA
ITL’s 6-year-old competitor demonstrated tremendous courage and determination.
Noah’s principal category of -22 kg yielded no opponents available. This meant a significant ‘step up’ with a singular match against a near 30 kg athlete of a different age group.
Noah Barbara (blue).
Despite the considerable disadvantage, Noah managed to take the first round from his opponent. But, he narrowly lost the second in the high-scoring exchange. Undeterred, Noah attempted to claim the win in round three, but was unsuccessful.
Not to be discouraged, Noah went on to claim GOLD in Pair Poomsae, participated in Family Poomsae alongside his father, Gianluca Barbara, and successfully smashed 3 boards with a powerful breaking technique!
His combined performances earned him an additional individual trophy. A fantastic showing from our little warrior!
GIANLUCA BARBARA
Gianluca faced a 24-year-old senior Korean in the final and secured GOLD with a convincing 2–0 victory in rounds.
Gianluca Barbara (red).
In Individual Poomsae, he progressed to the final before narrowly conceding to compatriot Jovo Mirkovic, claiming SILVER.
He also joined his son Noah for a memorable appearance in Family Poomsae.
In the Breaking competition, Gianluca demonstrated formidable power, successfully breaking 14 boards — just three short of the competition record!
Watch the match by clicking here (round 1/round 2).
ROMANO BIONDI
Romano enjoyed a spectacular competition, overcoming Korean Grandmaster Ryu Seong Seok in Kyorugi before going on to capture GOLD in Individual Poomsae.
This was fought over a tense three rounds with Romano winning the first, then losing the second to the Korean, and coming back to claim the third with an emphatic finish.
Joining forces with Jovo Mirkovic in Pair Poomsae, Romano also accumulated enough points to secure an additional trophy.
His strength was equally evident in Breaking, where he demolished an impressive 12 boards in a single attempt!
JOVO MIRKOVIC
Jovo was in outstanding form, securing DOUBLE GOLD in Kyorugi and Individual Poomsae!
His kyorugi encounter was played against a young senior competitor from Germany, who gave the audience a fantastic feast for the eyes with remarkable skill. Jovo got the better of his opponent over a two round encounter.
Jovo Mirkovic performing his individual poomsae - Sipjin.
His Individual Poomsae victory came following an all-Maltese final against teammate Gianluca Barbara, with Jovo once again emerging victorious in the final, having performed Taeguk Pal Jang in the preliminary encounter, followed by Sipjin.
Jovo also partnered Romano Biondi in Pair Poomsae and successfully broke 9 boards, with his combined efforts earning him another well-deserved trophy.
SASHA SLOBODIAN
The newest addition to THF Malta, Sasha made an immediate impression on the international stage. Sasha entered the individual poomsae part of the competition and came out with a gold medal, having won against an older and more experienced competitor.
In her respective set, Sasha performed Taeguk Chill Jang and Taeguk Pal Jang with excellent precision and power.
Sasha Slobodian and coach Jovo Mirkovic.
The debut proved to be an exceptional start for her competitive taekwondo journey, thanks to the efforts of the THF and her teammates.
ANHELINA HLADCHENKO
Anhelina displayed great fighting spirit in Kyorugi, advancing to the final where she narrowly lost to a German opponent, securing a hard-earned silver medal. Owing to a lack of opponents, Anhelina too had to fight against a heavier opponent.
She continued to impress throughout the competition, adding further medals and silverware through her performances in Individual Poomsae and Breaking.
Anhelina Hladchenko claiming her medal.
A determined and versatile performance across multiple disciplines that led to her very first medal claimed internationally.
LUCA FALZON
Luca delivered a commanding performance, capturing GOLD in Kyorugi following an excellent showing on the mats.
He continued his winning ways in Individual Poomsae, where he emerged as the uncontested winner, securing another gold in his respective division.
His additional points in Breaking also earned him an individual trophy, rounding off a highly successful competition!
THIRD PLACE OVERALL — A COLLECTIVE ACHIEVEMENT!
Beyond the individual medals and trophies, the greatest achievement was the collective effort of the entire team.
This venture was a vital step in preparing the THF team in Malta for upcoming international challenges, and they delivered with a great start.
Their combined points propelled the team to an outstanding 3RD PLACE IN THE OVERALL COMPETITION STANDINGS, a result that reflects the dedication and commitment of everyone involved.
ITL amassed enough points to claim third place in the team rankings.
Representing the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation, our athletes demonstrated that taekwondo is more than a competitive sport. It is a means of bringing people together, overcoming barriers and building friendships through shared values and mutual respect.
We at ITL would like to thank World Taekwondo and the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation for their endless support, along with Grandmaster Seong-Seok Ryu, Stefan Knaup, Ralf, Daniel and Fabio for hosting the team.
Congratulations to every athlete for doing yourselves, your team and your country proud!
