DONALD ‘Delano’ Francis, Jamaica’s 2014 International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) junior black belt gold medallist, left the Warrior Cup in San Jose, California, with a silver medal, boosting his chances of retaining a spot on Jamaica’s combined martial arts team.

Francis and Ackeem Lawrence were among the medallists at the Original Taekwon-do Federation of America-endorsed Warrior Cup.

Lawrence, a late replacement for Jason McKay, took gold at the event and has virtually secured his spot on the 2017 team following a Night of Champions victory at July’s United States Open in Orlando, Florida.

The tournament was hosted by Warrior Code Taekwon-Do Academy, and featured competition in ITF patterns and sparring, individual and team.

Francis’s silver earned him five points as he improved into 10th spot in combined team qualifying with one local tournament left to close the season.

Kenneth Edwards, Lawrence, Richard Stone, Nicholas Dusard, Adrian Moore, Nicholai Reid, Akino Lindsay, and McKay are ahead of Francis in qualifying for the 10-man team, which also has two additional spots for invitees.

Francis, however, will have to come out kicking at December’s black belt invitational as there are at least four new fighters with enough points to unseat him if he fails to medal at the last tournament of the season.