AINSLEY WALTERS, STAR Writer

CALABAR High School were recently presented with a new-look trophy for winning the 2014 the McKay Security Jamaica Taekwon-Do High School Martial Arts League, now rebranded the McKay Security/Taekwon-Do Sports League.

In addition to being rebranded, the annual high-school martial arts league has a revamped format, which kicked off in December at the Jamaica Taekwon-Do Association's Junior Open. Calabar edged JC to open the season.

Director, Jason McKay, pointed out that the league, which comprises all-boys high-school teams, is being contested throughout the school year, September to July, as opposed to its previous January to December format.

"Reverting to a school-year format, not a calendar year, should make the league even more competitive, as the boys, at times, travel during holidays, which depletes some of the teams. Keeping it within the school year, everybody will be at full strength, at all times," he explained.

Defending champions Calabar, Kingston College, Wolmer's, Jamaica College, St George's College, Hydel High, and Cornwall College are the participating teams.

The league has been credited with the success of Jamaica's junior fighters on home soil at last August's International Taekwon-Do Federation World Cup , followed by gold-medal performances at the Pan-Am Championships in Paraguay.

Master Peter Lue, chief instructor at Jamaica Taekwon-Do Association, said the country's growth in martial arts, which has led to Kenneth Edwards being Jamaica's first representative at the Olympics, would not have been possible without the league.

"I have seen the programme grow over the years, and the result of this we saw at the World Cup in Montego Bay when Jamaica, won the adult black-belt team-sparring title. This would not have been possible without the high-school league. It all started there," Lue said.