* Won his 2nd silver medal at ULTIMATE 1‑2‑1 Championships in Barnsley, UK on Sunday in minor male +24kg category
* 1st silver was clinched in January in his first-ever tournament and the third medal is a bronze attained last month
By Duncan Mlanjira
Five-year-old Malawian taekwondo player, Tiyamike Guba based in the UK, has earned his 3rd medal since taking up the sport in December 2025 after winning silver at the ULTIMATE 1‑2‑1 Championships in Barnsley, on Sunday, June 7 in minor male +24kg category.
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The up-and-coming taekwondo star — son to Malawi’s multiple medal-winning Taekwondo Master Yamikani Guba — took up the sport just in December 2025 and went on to win his first silver in his first tournament in January in his first-ever tournament at the Whiston 1-2-1 Championships in Manchester.
In March, he participated in the Pee Wee 25kg category at the 2nd Ultimate North East Taekwondo Championships at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre in which he reached the quarterfinals — losing 2-1 in a closely contested encounter.
The third medal is a bronze in minor male 24kg category attained last month at the Apex Open Taekwondo Championships, which was held at George Carnell Sports Centre in Manchester.
“This competition marked another positive step forward, with Tiya continuing to improve and gain valuable ring experience in Taekwondo,” said his father, who a decorated taekwondo master with multiple medals he has accumulated over the past 15 years.
He boasts of a huge medal treasure trove and just in the 2023/24 season alone, he claimed 11 gold, 8 silver, and 1 bronze — that earned him the Army Taekwondo Dan Player of the Year 2024 and the nomination for the British Army Sports Awards 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award, which he and the other nominees finished as runners-up.
Tiyamike started taekwondo training at Team Warrior Taekwondo Club in December having been inspired by his father — a Sergeant in the British Army’s 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, who captains the UK Armed Forces Team and he currently recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture from a competition in Estonia mid last year.
Along with the medals he has accumulated over the past 15 years, Guba has also received numerous awards, the last one being two-British-Army-Sports-accolades/ — the Sportsperson of the Decade for Army World Taekwondo award and the Coin of Excellence from CEO of British Army Sports.
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