COMPETITION TEAM ACHIEVEMENTS

APEX Taekwondo: 2026 in Review

2026 has been a big year for APEX Taekwondo. From winning five open championships to taking home the overall team trophy at the British National Kyorugi Championships, it’s been a season full of strong performances and a lot of hard work paying off.

The highlight, of course, was becoming National Overall Team Champions for the first time in APEX history.

It’s something that has been worked toward

A strong season leading into the Nationals

Going into 2026, the aim was to keep improving on previous seasons and continue building a team capable of challenging for the biggest results in the country.

Across the open competition circuit, APEX won all five championships entered ahead of the Nationals. This gave the coaching team a good indication of the progress being made and the strength of the squad going into October.

These competitions are important for more than just the results. They give athletes the chance to test themselves against different opponents, work on their tactics and learn how to handle the pressure that comes with competing. For some, it’s about building towards national titles, while for others, it’s about gaining experience and taking the next step in their development.

By the time the team arrived in Manchester, there was plenty of reason to be confident, but the Nationals would be another challenge altogether.

National Overall Team Champions

The British Taekwondo National Kyorugi Championships took place at Manchester Velodromeon 3–4 October, bringing together more than 900 athletes from across the country.

APEX finished the weekend with 34 medals:

12 gold

10 silver

12 bronze

Alongside this, the team also won the Novice Team prize and, most importantly, the Overall Team Trophy.This was the first time APEX had won the overall national title.

Having finished second in 2025 and regularly placed among the leading teams over the past decade, moving into first place was a huge milestone.

Winning an overall title takes a strong performance across the whole team, rather than relying on a handful of individual results. Athletes competed across a wide range of age groups, weight categories and experience levels, with every medal contributing to the final standings.

There were plenty of close contests and challenging moments over the two days, but the team kept pushing through. The support from the sidelines was constant, with athletes and coaches getting behind each other throughout the weekend.

For Rick Simpson, who first had the ambition of winning the overall trophy when he established his own club more than 20 years ago, the result marked the achievement of a long-standing goal.

Seeing that ambition become reality was a special moment for everyone involved.

Individual performances worth celebrating

The overall result was the biggest story of the weekend, but there were some excellent individual performances across the team as well.

Jayden Simpson-Kidd took gold in the Advanced Cadet male −61 kg division. Having faced challenges with asthma earlier in his competitive career, Jayden’s progress is a good example of what can happen when an athlete continues working through setbacks. His national title was his third in four years.

Valeriia Semeniuk also won gold in the Junior Novice female −52 kg division. Having previously competed in gymnastics in Ukraine, Valeriia took up taekwondo after moving to the UK and has made impressive progress in a relatively short period of time.

Aleena Hassan had an excellent weekend, winning gold in both the Junior Novice female −59 kg and Senior Novice female −57 kg divisions. Her dedication to the sport has remained strong despite the demands of studying and family life, and her two titles were a fantastic reward for that commitment.

There were also strong results from across the rest of the squad.

Aamina Tahir won gold in the Cadet Advanced female −41 kg division, while Mike Spink took gold in the Veteran male −80 kg category. Issa Zeeshan earned silver in the Junior Advanced male −48 kg division, and Negar Abolghasemi Ghasabeh secured silver in the Junior Novice female −52 kg category. Inayah Tamoor also came away with silver in the Cadet Advanced female −37 kg division, while Isaac Iqbal took silver in the Cadet Novice male −45 kg category.These are just some of the results from a weekend that saw medals won across the team.

There were plenty of other athletes who contributed to the final standings, and we’re proud of everyone who stepped onto the court representing APEX.

A challenging build-up

The road to the Nationals wasn’t straightforward for everyone.

APEX Greater Manchester had to deal with the loss of its long-standing training venue earlier in the year. This disrupted normal training arrangements at a particularly important point in the season, leaving athletes and coaches having to adapt their preparations.

For a competitive team working towards a national championship, losing access to a regular training space creates obvious difficulties. Training schedules change, equipment becomes harder to access and athletes have to adjust to unfamiliar environments.

Other clubs within the wider taekwondo community stepped in to offer training opportunities, helping the team continue preparing for the Nationals. The support made a real difference and showed how important relationships between clubs can be.

Despite the circumstances, the Greater Manchester athletes still travelled to Manchester ready to compete. Their efforts were part of a much bigger team achievement, and the way the wider

APEX group supported one another was a real positive from the weekend.

The year isn’t over yet

With the National Championships behind us, there is still plenty to look forward to before the end of 2026. Jayden Simpson-Kidd and Inayah Tamoor have both been selected to represent Great Britain at the European Championships, a fantastic achievement for both athletes and a proud moment for APEX. Following their performances throughout the season, they’ll now have the opportunity to test themselves against some of the best young athletes in Europe.

There is still plenty of competition ahead for the wider APEX team, too, with two 1-1 competitions and one final open competition taking place in November. These events will give our athletes further opportunities to gain experience, put their training into practice and finish the year on a high.

Winning the National Team Championships for the first time has been a huge milestone for APEX, but the focus doesn’t stop here. We’re looking forward to seeing how Jayden and Inayah get on at Europeans, alongside the rest of our athletes as they finish the season and prepare for the challenges ahead.

Looking ahead to 2027

Winning the overall national title is a result we can be proud of, but the work doesn’t stop here.

We’ll be looking at what went well this competition season, where we can improve and how we can continue developing the team ahead of the next competition year.

Other clubs will be working hard to challenge for the title, so we’ll need to keep progressing if we want to remain competitive.

There is plenty to build on, from the results across the open circuit to the performances at the Nationals. Just as importantly, there are athletes at every level who will be looking to take their next steps in 2027.

A huge thank you to all our athletes, coaches, staff, parents and supporters for everything you’ve put into this season. The results are a reflection of the work that goes on across APEX, both on and off the court.

Winning the Overall Team Trophy for the first time is a moment we’ll remember for a long time.

After years of working towards it, it’s fantastic to finally bring it home.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of APEX in 2026. We look forward to seeing what we can achieve together next year.