Walker stars at jujitsu tournament

Canada’s Laya Walker dominated the female 18 and over division, winning gold in No-Gi (without kimono) and Gi (kimono) at the inaugural 2023 Barbados International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Championships held yesterday at the Golden Square Freedom Park.
However, Walker first had to win a tie-breaker against Guyana’s Teressa Menezes after they each finished on equal points.
The submission tournament saw over 60 competitors of all ages with the highest ranked being a brown belt from Guyana, with the majority of the other participants between white to blue belt levels.
In the female adult division, they were six competitors, representing host nation Barbados, Canada and Guyana.
A draw was worth one point, a victory three points and zero points for a loss.
In their crucial matchup, Menezes and Walker battled to a draw as the time expired before any of them locked in a submission move in the four-minute match.
They both won three matches before registering one more draw. Menezes drew with her teammate Kara Lord and Walker drew with Kim Morris, as they both ended on 11 points.
The tie breaker saw the two facing off against each other, with the faster person to escape a hold being declared the winner, with Walker emerging victorious.
Third place was a tie between Morris and Lord.
With only two female adult competitors in the Gi category, Walker defeated Lord in the best of three contest.
Organiser and BJJ coach Felix Huggins got into the ring for the Division 7 male 18 years and over 188 pounds.
Huggins made light work of his first match and then was held to a draw. But this did not prevent him from going on to claim the top spot in the Division. Second was Jason Green and third was Guyana’s Shane Wagner
Guyana’s Akel Barrington won the male over 162 pounds, while Aidan Johnson was second and Shem Holmes and Tosh Jones tied for third.
In the less than 215 pounds male division, Kirk Goddard was the winner, while Shaun McCormack from Canada was second and Samuel Robinson third.
Thomas Ridgeon was the winner of the No-gi men’s 215 pounds division. Tied for second were Harold Beaugendre of Guadeloupe and Odain Jackman.
Jackman and Beaugendre had a tie breaker for the gold medal in the Gi division and it was Jackman who came out on top, while Webster McRae of Guyana placed third.
Justin Boyce won the men’s less than 175 lbs No-Gi and Shane Kingston was second.
In the men’s less than 176 pounds division, Shane Kingston was the winner with two victories and one draw. Thomas Ridgeon placed second and third was Justin Boyce.
Gold medalists in the kids and juvenile division were Rickai Walcott (5-6 years, less than 56 lbs); Amare Holder (4 years, less than 49 lbs); Awar Nosakheve (6-8 years, less than 58 lbs); Noah Leacock (8-9 years, less than 70 lbs); Ari McGowan (8-9 years, less than 94 lbs); Rickari Walcott (9-10 years, less than 85 lbs); Jaylon Greenidge (9-11 years, less than 103 lbs), Kaydi Morris (9-11 years, less than 94 lbs), Malik Drayton (11-12 years, less than125 lbs), Aldo Melendez (juvenile male/female).
(CG)