* His 2nd medal in three major junior tournaments having won silver last January and reached quarterfinals in March
* This was only his third fight since starting taekwondo training at Team Warrior Taekwondo Club in in December 2025
By Duncan Mlanjira
Five-year-old, Tiyamike Guba, son to Malawi’s Taekwondo Master Yamikani Guba, who took up the sport in December 2025, earned the bronze medal on Sunday in minor male 24kg category of the Apex Open Taekwondo Championships, which held at George Carnell Sports Centre in Manchester, UK.
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This is his 2nd medal in three major junior tournaments he has so far participated having won silver last January and reaching quarterfinals in March — his third fight since starting taekwondo training at Team Warrior Taekwondo Club in December having been inspired by his father — who is decorated with multiple medals he has accumulated over the past 15 years.
“Tiya says he is enjoying the sport and is looking forward to gaining more experience through future competitions,” says the proud father. “His next challenge will be the Ultimate 1-2-1 Championships in Barnsley and from his excitement, he is set to make another remarkable achievement.”
The January 25 silver medal was attained his first major junior tournament at the Whiston 1-2-1 Championships in Manchester and 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 up-and-coming superstar launched his taekwondo training at Team Warrior Taekwondo Club having been inspired by his father — who is decorated with multiple medals he has accumulated over the past 15 years.
“We are extremely proud of his achievement and we will give him all the opportunity to rise and be recognised in world taekwondo sport.”
The father 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.
Yamikani Guba, a Sergeant in the British Army’s 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, 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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