Shiohan Lambert Plummer (left), receives his certificate after getting his Seventh Degree Black Belt ranking from Professor Hanshi Olane, international president for the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame, during the World Zendo Kai Kan Martial Arts tournament inside the UTech auditorium on Saturday, May 19. Plummer is the first Martial Arts fighter in 60 years in Jamaica to receive the 7th Dan (seventh degree black belt), and the first Jamaican to be inducted in the World Hall of Fame for Martial Arts. - Anthony Minott

by Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer

LAST Saturday's 11th staging of the McKay Security World Zendo Open, the second leg of the Busta Martial Arts League, was marked by Sosai Lambert Plummer being declared a Master by the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

In addition, microweight Alrick Wanliss of Jamaica Taekwondo emerged grand champion of the tournament staged at the University of Technology auditorium.

Plummer, president of World Zendo Karate, was bestowed with a seventh degree and the title of Shiohan.

Teen champ

The grand championship trophy, awarded to the champion fighter of three combined weights, was surprisingly won by a microweight, Wanliss, the Montego Bay teenager.

Another surprise was Calabar staging a dramatic recovery to defeat Jamaica College and Kingston College to win the High Schools' team competition, levelling the tournament series 1-1 with Jamaica College, who won the first leg at the Jamaica Taekwondo Open.

Most entries were received in the junior coloured belt division, but the popular black belt division attracted more than the usual number of entries due to the new league format featuring the five major tournaments.

Similar to the Jamaica Taekwondo opening leg of the league, the middleweight division was once again dominated by Omar Rose and Arthur Barrows.

The Busta Fighters teammates advanced to the final but stuck to their team code of not opposing each other in finals as Barrows bowed out, giving the title to Rose, who was on the end in the first leg.

Paul Shoucair of Jamaica Beverages, which sponsors the event through its Busta Brand, said the league has been a phenomenal success after two tournaments.

"I went to the first leg, the Jamaica Taekwondo Open, and was very impressed with the competition I saw from the toddlers up.

"I didn't make the second one but I was informed it was also a huge success," he added.

Shoucair said the concept of all five major tournaments being brought under the umbrella sponsorship of Busta provides exposure for talent.

"Under a league format for all divisions, it's like in football; you can see the youngsters coming up through the ranks and it provides continuity for national squads such as the Busta Fighters," he pointed out.