Jamaica< combined martial arts Everlast junior squad will compete at the New Jersey Open, which represents the youngsters' first overseas assignment this season.

Coach Jason McKay will lead a squad of four, including adult fighter Nicholai Reid, the combined team’s 2016 invitee to the annual New Jersey tournament, which attracts top fighters from all over North America, including many-time world champion Julio Carlos fighting out of his home gym.

Junior fighters Joshane Thompson and Tahj Hewitt of Jamaica College, along with Tye McKay of Calabar High, are part of the Everlast junior squad under the guidance of McKay, who is honing the youngsters for succession to the highly successful senior combined martial arts team which he founded in 2001.

“New Jersey is a hotbed of martial arts activities, the perfect tournament at which to blood the guys before the massive US Open in July,” McKay said.

Selectees include schoolboys from Calabar, Kingston College, Jamaica College and the University of the West Indies’ Akino Lindsay, who holds an International Sports Kick-boxing Association’s World Association World Championship gold medal.

Reid is using the tournament to accumulate points in an effort to qualify as a full member of the 2017 combined team. He started his trek locally last week by winning the male black belt title at the Shai-Tai Kick-boxing Open at Campion College.