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Prit Kaur Sidhu (17) from Harpenden, Herts, is set to follow her brother Gavinder’s footsteps (also a Young Blade) to dominate the Taekwando world. She became National Champion at the age of 11, the first time she competed on a national level.
She was the 2006 National Champion in Patterns discipline and Prit successfully reached the quarter finals in the European Championships in 2002 and scooped 4th position in the World Championships as a member of the Great Britain Female Team. In 2002, Prit was awarded the Luton Sportswoman of the Year award by the Luton Sports Council.
Prit has been a Young Blade since the initiative was established in 2004. She was presented with a cheque for £1000 by Colin Jackson and Will King at the Jubilee Gym, Covent Garden, London.
Please scroll down to read the latest updates and news from Prit.
Update: 2008 round-up by Prit
2008 was a great year and I finished the year on a real high. In October I won Silver at the National Championships in Reading in the Heavyweight Patterns discipline.
I then travelled to Sardinia for the Mediterranean championships in December with Team England. I out-thought and completely out-fought my opponent’s en-route to the final and produced a fight in the final that even drew plaudits from Italian spectators.
2009 promises to be a great year. I am already training for the Scottish Open in March where I defend my title, as well as the Zaragoza Open Champs in Spain. Both of these tournaments are warm-up events for the European Championships in Croatia in May. Later in the year are the Pan-American Championships in Florida as well as the WAKO Championships in Germany (Kickboxing Vs Taekwondo tournament).
Update: January 2008 by Prit
As the year has come to a close, it is time to update you on 2007 as a whole!
In January Gav and I decided to part ways with our coach who we had been with from the very beginning. It was a tough decision to make but we believe we definitely made the right choice. Therefore our performance this year was important and it was crucial that we did well.
The Scottish Open in February was our first tournament with our new association ‘Imperial’ so it was essential that we did well and it was also my first tournament as a senior! There were many competitors in my division from all over Britain, I made it to the final beating four other competitors on the way and took away the Gold!
In my first tournament of the year I walked away a Scottish Open Champion.
After Scotland I gradually got used to the regime of training that was so different from what I had been used to for 11 years! There were 5 months till the World Championships in August that were going to be held in Birmingham and I was determined to do well. I went from doing 3 days a week to 5 days totalling up to 10 hours of training a week! This wasn’t all Taekwondo based of course, 1 day a week I had a gruelling 2 hour session of 45 minutes each in the Gym, Dojo, and the pool. This was by far the most demanding regime! The Worlds were creeping up and by the time they came I felt I was ready...
On 30th July 2007, we made the trip up to Birmingham. The Championship started on 1st August so I had 2 days to settle in comfortably. Both my events were on the first day so I didn’t have long to gear myself up. In the patterns event, I came 4th being one place from a Bronze medal. I lost to the current World Silver Medallist, I was so gutted with this had to put it behind and focus on my sparring. By the time Sparring came I was geared up and ready to go! I won my first fight comfortably winning by 4 points altogether. The second round proved more difficult against Canada, the round consisted of 2 rounds of 2 minutes with both rounds ending at a draw.
This was frustrating for me because aswell as being exhausted, I now had to fight for another 2 minutes when I really should have been going into the 3rd round. My frustration showed and I eventually lost the fight by one point. After this tournament my confidence dropped to an all time low because I couldn’t figure out where I was going wrong! After having a long chat with my coach he reminded that I have only just gone into the senior category so I shouldn’t feel too downhearted. I picked myself back up again and started training even harder than before.
The Spanish Open was being held in November, the best from all of Europe were attending and I was determined to take Spain by storm! From all the extra training I had been doing I had lost weight which resulted in me now being in the Middleweight category. I have been a Heavyweight for years so I wasn’t sure if this was the right time for me to change categories because the type of sparring is slightly different, i.e. they are faster off their feet etc. but nevertheless I stayed put. I was drawn against one of the Spanish in the first round, which had a slight downside; she had 99% of the arena on her side.
I didn’t allow this to affect me and won convincingly, and won my next 3 fights before reaching the final! I was overjoyed and was not going to let this title slip from my hands! My opponent was Irish and she was part of the Senior Sparring team in Birmingham who went on to become World Champions! I didn’t let this phase me and at the end of the first round it was a draw...
memories flooded me of the Worlds in Birmingham where I was in the exact same position. But this time I was going to win...
I got back in the ring and blew my Irish opponent away with one of my most professional fights in terms of tactics and dominance over my opponent. The fight finished with me 4 points ahead and being crowned Middleweight Spanish Open Champion 2007. This I felt had been duly deserved and it was a great end to the year!
Plans for 2008 include returning back to Scotland in April to defend my title! Also the ITF Midlands Open and Battle Royale are coming up. Though the main focus for me is the World Kup being held in Punta del Este, Uruguay in November 2008!
Update: 1 May 2007 by Gavinder
Just an update on how Prit and I got on at the Scottish Imperial Championship. Prit came away with a Gold in Patterns! However she slightly injured her groin so had pull out of sparring. She was included in the senior category, and duly swept the board clean.
Gav came 3rd in Patterns and 2nd in sparring, however with a swollen lip and jaw! The final was very tough. Maybe feeling the effects of the travelling the day before, by the time the final came my energy levels were at a low, my opponent duly took adavantage and I was always on the defensive in the final! However I was pleased with my overall performance and the experience gained, as always, was valuable. Prit made a very professional and impressive dislpay to take Gold in her first championships for Imperial!
The trip was very very long! 18 of us travelled in the minibus, the trip up there took 9hours!!!! Left at half eight in the morning and arrived about half five in the evening!
Also, Prit and I have recently decided to part ways with our coach, who we have been with since we both started Taekwondo. Gav at the age of five and Prit started at 7! We decided to move on and both believed we needed a new direction after being with our coach for 14 and 11 years respectively. We decided to join up with Master Nicholls, VIII Dan who is the current England coach. We have been training with Master Nicholls for the last couple months and are enjoying training with our new coach and colleagues immensly! We now train in Yiewsley, West Drayton.
Next events coming up are the selections trials on the 6th May for Gav and also Battle Royale in the next couple of months!
Update: December 2006 by Prit
There was great disappointment for me. I had initially been selected to represent GB in Germany. However, my Biology field trip coincided with the championships. Biology is very important to me as I am hoping to do Chiropractics at University and need a Biology A-Level in order to do this. I was told by the Head of Department that if I didn’t go on the field trip I wouldn’t be allowed to carry on Biology for A-Level dismissing any chance of me doing Chiropractics at University. I was advised by many around me including my coach, to go on the field trip and give the Euros a miss. It was tough but I believe I made the better choice.
Gav and I both had a bit of a summer break including a couple of holidays in Greece and Dubai, so no competing for a couple of months.
On the 30th October were the national championships in Leicester. Both of us did really well. I made it through to the final in Patterns and won a tight contest. It was much deserved and the watching England coaches were left impressed by an extremely impressive performance. However, my sparring match was surrounded by controversy. The initial stages were tight but I was handling my opponent very well and scoring some good points. I then caught my opponent with a good shot to the abdomen with a reverse turning kick.
The fight was stopped for a brief moment so my opponent could recover from the shot. However instead of resuming the fight, the umpire called it off for apparent ‘excessive contact.’ Both me and my opponent were disqualified. This was such a poor decision and left literally everybody watching completely baffled. I did however come away with Gold from Patterns, which guarantees me a place in the selection trials for the World Championships in March.
Update: 19 November 2006 by Prit and Gavinder
On the 30th October were the national championships in Leicester. Gav and Prit both did really well, however yet again poor umpiring let Prit down. Prit won Gold in the Patterns category comfortably, but in the sparring she was disqualified along with her opponent for apparent ‘excessive contact.’ This was such a poor decision and left literally everybody watching completely baffled. It was also an opportunity for Prit to impress the watching England coaches (World Championships in Birmingham next year). Prit did however come away with Gold from Patterns, which guarantees her a place in the selection trials for the World Championships next March.
Gav did extremely well. For the first time Gav made it past the Quarter-Finals in Senior sparring, but also went one better by winning it! He blew away his opponent in the Final deservedly taking the Gold, outscoring his opponent in each corner. Gav had initially found it tough to adapt to the differences in terms of physicality’s between the juniors and seniors, but now seems to have made the step-up. Gav then made it through to his second final of the day in Patterns, but lost and came away with silver. The gold and silver secures Gav’s place in the selection trials next March, where he is certain to be one of the favourites for Gold.
The President of GBITF Federation believes that Gav is one of the best pattern performers in Europe and will be up there once the Worlds come next year. The trials next year will be testing for Gav as he will have the current World Champion in his category. Gav has already faced him, 4 years ago in the World Championships in Argentina, and beat him.
Training is going well. Gav’s now at Staffordshire University studying Sports Journalism. He makes a 2 hour train journey to Leicester every Tuesday and Friday for training, and then comes back home at weekends to train on Sundays in Oxford.
In June Gav attended the European Championships in Weltzer, Germany. It was my first senior men’s championships abroad. In patterns, I won 3 of my 4 group matches, coming second in the group, making it through to the quarter-finals. I was drawn against a German and lost. The German made it through to the final. In sparring I didn’t make it out of the group stages, winning 1 and losing 2 of my 3 fights. Overall I was pleased with experience and knowledge gained of the Senior European circuit, but there was obvious disappointment at not winning a medal.
There was great disappointment for Prit. She had initially been selected to represent GB in Germany. However, her Biology field trip coincided with the championships. Biology is very important to Prit. She is hoping to do Chiropractics at University and needs a Biology A-Level in order to do this. She was told by the Head of Department that if she didn’t go on the Field trip she wouldn’t be allowed to carry on Biology for A-Level (she was in her first year at the time), dismissing any chance of her doing Chiropractics at University. She was advised by many around her, including her coach, to go on the field trip and give the Euros a miss. It was tough but I believe she made the better choice.
Update: 19 November 2005 by Prit and Gavinder
Just to let you know Prit unfortunately didn't make it into the GB Squad for the World Championships next year. For patterns she came second in her group out of five and successfully made it into the final, where she would face the top two from the second group plus the winner of her group. In the final it was the top three that would go through. Prit lost 2 and won 1. This meant that three of the girls including Prit had tied. It would have to go into a playoff. Unfortunately Prit lost both matches meaning she finished in 4th, one place out of making it into the Squad.
But she still had a chance in sparring. This time she topped her group and easily made it into the final four. But Prit lost the three fights in the final and again losing out by one place she didnt make it into the squad to go to Australia.
The focus is now on Gav as he has a few months to prepare for the European Senior Championships in Germany next July.
Update: 31 October 2005 by Prit and Gavinder
Prit entered the trials for the World Championships which are going to be held next year in Australia. However these were the trials for the main selection trials, which are on the 13th November in Long Eaton.
The top four from each category would make it through to the main selections next month. Prit entered both patterns and sparring and came out gold winner in both events. This means that she will be the top seed for the main selection trials next month making her passage to the world championships a little bit easier as the top three will be automatically through into the GB Squad.
Prit also entered the national team championships on the same day. The team consisted of three girls including Prit. They eventually came away with three golds, which was a fantastic achievement.
Gav and Gurlaine also entered the team championships. Gav's team won four golds and Gurlaine's team came away with three golds and one silver.
As you already know Gav was too old for the selections for the world championships in Australia next year, as he is know in the senior ranks. At present he is training for the European championships which are going to be held in Germany next July.
Update: October 2005 by Gavinder
Just emailing to inform you that Prit is entering trials next Sunday for the Junior World Championships in Australia next September! She has been training hard and needs to get through these trials to have any chance of competing for GB next year! I am unfortunately too old to enter the trials as I am now in the senior ranks.
I am however still competing next week but in the GB Team Championships. It will be at the same venue as the trials so I will be there supporting Prit. The championships are taking place at Parklands Sport & Leisure Center, Oadby, Leicester. Also Prit has been contacted to appear in a low budget Martial Arts film called 'Inner Turmoil.'
Update 20.6.2005 by Prit and Gavinder
We are just emailing you to inform you of our recent successes. On Sunday 19th June we both entered the National Open in Leicester. We did very well scooping many medals along the way.
Gavinder entered 4 events and came away
Update 28.5.2005 by Prit
Myself and Gavinder have enrolled in the biggest gym in Europe and have both got personal trainers which train us specific to Taekwondo. This has helped us develop our skills a lot and currently we are training for the European Championships in Poland this summer and for the world Championships in Australia next year. Earlier this year we entered the UK Open championships and both succeeded in getting Bronze in our chosen area. The age range was from 16 to 30 so we did well considering our age!
with 2 silvers and a bronze. He entered both the junior and senior competitions. The junior ages ranging from 13-18 and the senior ages from 19+.He achieved a silver in junior patterns and also made it to the final in the senior competition achieving a silver medal. He achieved a bronze medal in junior sparring. Unfortunately due to the physical nature of the senior sparring Gav didn't make it out of the group stages but gained good experience from it, and a few bruises!
Prit entered 2 events and came away with a Gold. She entered patterns which she won. She was very happy as she beat the girl who had won the trials for the world championships last year in the semi-finals. This was very satisfying! She also entered power. Power is where you have to break a number of wooden boards with different hand and foot techniques. Unfortunately she didn't make it into the medal positions for this event, achieving fifth position.
And also before we go we would like to inform you that our younger sister Gurlaine, also entered 2 events for the U13 female category and came away with a silver in female patterns and gold in female sparring. She was very satisfied with her achievements and so were we as she is showing maturity in the sport beyond her years.