JAMAICA’S taekwondo fighters Nicholas Dusard and Kenneth Edwards put in some sterling performances to qualify for the Pan-American Games set for October in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The two-day qualifying tournament was held in Lima, Peru on March 25 and 26 and saw 163 athletes participating from 32 countries across the region involving the Caribbean, North, South and Central America.

Featherweight Dusard fighting in the 68 kilogramme division, won two of his three fights, while Edwards won three of his four fights in the 80+ section.

National coach Conrad Jennings said their qualification was great for the sport and it came with crucial wins against two home fighters.

“Everybody wanted to know what kind of training we are doing here. But they won’t know our secret,” said Jennings.

Dusard defeated Mario Guerra of Chile, 12-10, in his first fight before losing 3-9 to Venezuela’s Danny Miranda.

He got a bye to the next round, but his final opponent was one which would drive shivers down any opponent’s spine in home hero Peter Lopez of Peru.

Lopez is the current world champion, having won in Canada last year, and won silver at the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil.

He finished fourth at the 2008 Olympic Games and was regarded as the country’s surest bet for an Olympic medal at any sport in Beijing of the 15 athletes that went.

But 21-year-old Dusard was not daunted and despite the heavy partisan support, won 7-4 in a close and tense fight and booked his passage to the Pan-American Games.

Meanwhile, 25-year-old turned back Ecuador’s Victor Moreira, 8-4, lost to Francois Coulombe-Fortier of Canada, 1-5, before rebounding, 16-12, against Jose Manuel Silverio of Dominica Republic.

In his final fight, Edwards faced hometown fighter Chisthian O’Campo and silenced the home fans, easily winning, 10-2.

With qualifying behind them, coach Jennings will now be focusing on the World Championship in South Korea between May 1-6.

“We’re going to medal. They will be focusing on Kenneth and Dusard and will be studying the tapes of the fights. But we know that, so I will keep changing the moves and application of the techniques in the ring,” said Jennings.

He added: “When they study that old tapes they will see different tactical moves by us. The world is focusing on us now.”

In January, three Jamaicans who entered the 10th Caribbean Tae Kwon Do Championships secured gold medals in Christ-church, Barbados.

Nicholas Dusard earned a gold medal in the featherweight division, Kenneth Edwards claimed gold in the middleweight category, while Bruce Rickman won bantamweight gold.