DEFENDING champion Subrina Richards heads a strong quartet of Jamaica combined martial arts team fighters set to hit the mats at the 2017 International Sport Kick Boxing Association (ISKA) Amateur Members Association World Championships in Athens, Greece, from tomorrow through to Saturday.

The Jamaicans are hoping to return from Greece laden with gold medals ahead of next year’s historic hosting of the event in Montego Bay, the first staging of the tournament outside Europe.Richards, a lanky but powerful 20-year-old, is possibly Jamaica’s greatest prospect for gold after a phenomenal season last year, winning four international world titles — the ISKA Amateur Member World Champs in Germany, US Open in Orlando, in addition to double gold at the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations Pan Am Champs.Coach Jason McKay said he has confidence in the strength of the squad, even though Ackeem Lawrence will be making his ISKA World Champs debut.“Ackeem is an International Taekwondo Federation Pan Am gold medallist and has had considerable experience fighting at the ISKA United States Open,” he pointed out.McKay said Akino Lindsay’s return after debuting at Portugal 2015 with a gold medal makes him “a very strong and experienced contender for a title”.“Cunningham (Sheckema) was dropped from last year’s squad for not meeting the minimum training requirements, plus she was injured when she had gone to Cyprus in 2014.She, however, is in her best form in years, showing her diversity with a great knockout in World Taekwondo Federation action this month in Jersey, winning two gold medals,” he said of Jamaica’s other female fighter on tour. McKay said the Jamaicans are out to make a statement in Athens.“It is considered really crucial that, being hosts, countries should have persons defending their world titles, which is what we intend to do at home next year and why we have our strongest possible squad on tour,” he explained.