Trinity Students Shine at the Kukkiwon International Taekwondo Championship 2026

Trinity Catholic College would like to proudly share the achievements of three Trinity students who recently competed at the 2026 Kukkiwon International Taekwondo Championship held in Christchurch on Saturday 23rd May.

Year 7 student Nio Sevilla entered the tournament as the defending champion for the past three consecutive years in the Under 35kg Kyurugi division, and successfully defended his Kyurugi Under 35kg title in both the Coloured Belt and Black Belt divisions. Competing against 7 opponents in each division and fighting through every round from the quarterfinals to the finals.

Nio also competed in the Poomsae Minor 2 Colored Belt division with 8 participants and proudly earned a Silver medal, finishing second overall.

Nio was also selected as the Best Kyurugi Player for the Colored Belt division of the tournament. He won all 6 of his matches dominantly, with each match lasting only 2 rounds and without losing a single round throughout the competition.

Statement from Nico's parents:

"As parents, we are incredibly proud of how Trinity Catholic College continues to help mould and guide Nio in developing discipline, determination, and good sportsmanship. We are truly grateful for the continued support from Trinity College, as Nio proudly represents both New Zealand and the college in every tournament he joins. Nio will continue to represent Trinity Catholic College with pride and honour in whatever tournaments he participates in."

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Marcus Uy (Year 7) has been competing successfully in Taekwondo since the age of 7 and continues to perform at a high level. At this year’s International competition in Christchurch, Marcus achieved the following impressive results:

• Gold – Kyorugi -49kg Black Belt Division

• Gold – Kyorugi -49kg Geup 2–1 Division

• Silver – Individual Poomsae

• Silver – Pair Poomsae

Marcus performed exceptionally well in the finals against competitors from Australia and South Korea, showing excellent skill and composure despite being one of the youngest athletes in the cadet division.

Marcus' family is incredibly proud of his achievements and believe this is another important step toward his goal of competing at the Cadet World Championships in Greece next year.

Marcus will be participating in several competitions later this year to continue gaining experience in his taekwondo journey.

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Year 10 Trinity student Matthea Mendoza also competed at the Kukkiwon International Cup in Christchurch and in her divisions she came away with a Bronze medal (Individual Poomsae) and a Silver medal in the Pair Poomsae. Congratulations Matthea - another outstanding achievement by one of our students!

And some news hot off the press........

Trinity Catholic College is now ranked Number 1 on the New Zealand School Championship Leaderboard, largely due to Marcus’s success and achievements at the Gold Coast Competition and the Kukkiwon International Cup 2026. His medals and awards have contributed significantly to the school’s current standing.

Click on the link below to see our school topping the leaderboard!

https://newzealandtaekwondo.co.nz/leader-board

This is a fantastic achievement not only for Marcus, but also for Trinity Catholic College! We encouarge all our Trinity students who compete in these national competitions to load their points into the system so that Trinity can maintain a strong ranking on the national stage!

This is only the beginning, and we are looking forward to continued success for our students in upcoming competitions throughout the year. Well done everyone.