* In +87kg senior category of the Dome Open Championships 2024 held on Sunday at the Doncaster Dome Leisure Centre
* I am looking forward to the upcoming events. It’s a busy schedule ahead but I am up to the task as I aim for another successful year
By Duncan Mlanjira
UK-based Malawian taekwondo Master, Yamikani Guba has attained a fourth medal of this year alone after winning silver in the +87kg senior category of the Dome Open Championships 2024 held on Sunday at the Doncaster Dome Leisure Centre.
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Guba, a Sergeant serving for 4th Regiment Royal Artillery represents the British Army WT taekwondo team, won three other gold medals this year alone — attained at the Army Open Championship in February in WT Poomsae Masters category and +87kgs kyorugi (fighting) at the championships held at the Army Combat Centre in Aldershot.
The third gold medal was won at the Ultimate Open Championship 2024 in Vets +87kgs held at the Metrodome Lesuire Centre, Sheffield in March.
“I am looking forward to the upcoming events in June,” said Guba, who was honored by Malawi Sports Awards as Sportsman of the Year 2023. “It’s a busy schedule ahead which includes the Warrior Fight Night Charity, the Premier Open, Interservices Championships, the Scottish Open, the Scorpion Open, and the 4th Welsh International Open Championships.
“But I am up to the task as I aim for another successful year,” said Malawi’s only heavyweight taekwondo Master, who last year alone won 15 medals of 6 gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze that earned him the Malawi Sports Awards Sportsman of the Year 2023.
The same achievement was recognized by UK (North) Army Sport Trophy Awards, that nominated him for the Most Outstanding Male Sports Person and he came second.
The colorful Army Sport Trophy Awards celebrates and Guba has also been recognized in several occasions for his achievement fighting for British Army Taekwondo team, which he has captained since 2010.
He has over 250 medals to his name – more than 190 of which are gold and Sergeant Guba, who is serving as Detachment Commander for the 4th Regiment The Royal Horse Artillery, was also recognized by the British military with medals of valor having deployed to theatre of war such as Afghanistan, Iraq and other war zones.
UK military medals are awarded to all service personnel, both active and veterans, for their long or valuable service, good conduct and for their services in a particular operation or specific theatre of war zones.
The medals of honour on his jacket lapel
He has deployed to Afghanistan in 3 operations since he joined the UK and has taken part in overseas exercises in Europe, Canada, Kenya and South Korea among others.
This is documented by blackhistorymonth.org.uk in a special feature in December ahead of the global celebration of Black History Month — the recognition of blacks for their contributions to society; both past and present.
What attracted blackhistorymonth.org.uk was Guba’s ‘selfless commitment’ acknowledging that he chose to go to the war in Afghanistan at the expense of competing at the Olympic Games representing Malawi.
“It’s not a choice most of us will ever have to make,” said the report by Harriet Steer. “But this was the reality for Sergeant (Sgt) Yamikani Guba in 2011.”
Guba, who holds a Malawian passport, has represented Malawi at international level, and Steer wrote that he had the chance to compete for Malawi in the London 2012 Olympics, but instead went to Afghanistan for the second time.
When the Army’s senior leadership learned of his actions, Sgt Guba received a General Officer Commanding (GOC) Commendation for selfless commitment.
The phenomenon athlete learnt his Martial Arts at Blantyre Youth Centre (BYC) at the age of 10 at the inspiration of his family members and he later relocated to UK in 2004 to study the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM-postgraduate).
He went on to join the British Army in 2007 where he was recruited in the British Army Martial Arts team in 2008 — competing in both Taekwondo and Kendo at international and national level.
He is the only highly-graded personnel in UK Armed Forces Taekwondo team and his most recent and notable achievement is his grading to Kukkiwon World Taekwondo 5th Dan/ Degree black belt attained last year.
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