COACH Jason McKay, founder of Jamaica’s combined martial arts team, is pinning this week’s International Sports Karate Association (ISKA) United States Open gold-medal hopes on mainstays Richard Stone, Nicholas Dusard, Akino Lindsay and Nicholai Reid, who he has described as “undoubtedly the best tatami kickboxers in the world”.

McKay’s praises were sung after Stone, Dusard and Lindsay each won double gold at last year’s International Sport Kickboxing Association Amateur Members Association (ISKA AMA) World Championships Kickboxing and Muay Thai in Munich, Germany.

At this year’s US Open, starting Thursday at Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida,

the trio will be joined by Captain Ackeem Lawrence and Sharic Bowen — a second-time qualifier for the sponsored, combined-team squad fighting for titles in continuous and clash sparring.

Lindsay, one of Jamaica’s most decorated ISKA fighters, will face Leard Xheladini of Ireland in Saturday’s ESPN-televised Night of Champions special for the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) World Championship bout.

The US Open will be Jamaica’s first major tournament since Germany.

“It is a great time in our martial-arts history when we can field a team that includes fighters who you can guarantee will be able to walk through the world’s best,” McKay recounted of Jamaica’s eight-medal performance from four fighters at the October 18-22 kickboxing and muay thai world championship.

Returning to the US Open last year after a COVID-19-forced hiatus, combined team members led the way for Jamaica with four gold medals among the senior fighters. Daniel White of Jamaica Taekwon-Do Centre was the only non-combined senior fighter to strike gold, taking home the 18-34 advance clash sparring division crown.

Lawrence believes combined team members will again rise to the fore with multiple medals.

“I have the utmost confidence in the guys, based on the six months’ training they have undergone with Master Claude Chin and Coach Jason McKay,” Lawrence pointed out.

“The more seasoned fighters, I expect them to show up as they always do: taking shots at double gold, competing in their respective divisions in clash and continuous sparring,” Lawrence added.

Last year Dusard won light heavyweight black belt titles in continuous and clash sparring. Reid defeated Jamie Lindtner of Germany for the middleweight black belt world title in continuous sparring.

Jamaica’s three-time United States Open champion, Stone, defeated the USA’s Sheldon Spencer in the match of the night on the ESPN Night of Champions special for the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) World Championship bout.