Visually impaired Sealy to feature at Martial Arts Champs

THE Caribbean Taste of China All Styles Martial Arts Championships will take place at the Chaguanas Indoor Facility at 10.30 am, today.

The championships will include demonstrations from Shoaling Temple of TT headed by Sifu Heng Gao, Shawn Sealy and Erskine Husbands of Barbados, Pan American gold medallist Stefan O’Neil and Chinese master Sun Gui Feng.

Two of the prizes up for grabs on the day will be one samurai sword and one kung fu sword.

Sealy, who is visually impaired, is expected to be one of the highlights of the championships. Sealy, who visited the Olympic Day celebrations at Woodford Square in Port of Spain on Friday, is anticipating the event.

“I feel comfortable, I come to win and that is what I intend to do,” Sealy said.

Sealy, who will compete in various styles of martial arts, said he does not let his lack of vision prevent him from competing, as with mental strength you could achieve.

Sealy said, “There is no limit, you can’t sit down and play dead. You have to get up and go.”

This will be Sealy’s second competition as he has only been in the sport since January.

Husbands is eager to see the different styles on show at the championships. “I am looking forward to seeing the variety of styles because it is an open martial arts competition. You have karate and chinese martial arts, so I am just looking forward to seeing what everyone else will be bringing to the table,” Husbands said.