MARTIAL ARTS: FATHER and daughter team David and Danielle Baker are jetting off to represent Wales in the Tae Kwon-do Canada Open.

The talented pair from Alsager will represent their home country at the Montreal event on July 16, 17 and 18. The dynamic duo are both instructors at The Matrix World Tae Kwon-do Federation (WTF) Club, which trains at the Sandbach Literary Institute.

Alsager School pupil Danielle, 13, in particular is a strong medal hope in her division. She is the current Junior Olympic Silver medal-list.

Dad David, 35, who hails from South Wales, competes in the veterans section. He said: 'We are in our final preparations for the event now. We are both quite confident but Danielle has a good chance in particular.

'I feel in quite good form myself but this is a different prospect to most of the competitions we are involved in. This is a huge event and only people with black belts are allowed to enter.'

They hope to emulate the success that the club, with 55 members, has enjoyed in recent months. At the Welsh Open in May, four of nine competitors won medals.

The team was: Chelsea Bailey, Joe Jackson, Declan Baker, Alistair Nimock, Jamie Jones, Lom Lunla, Karen Bailey, David Baker and Luck Lunla.

This was bettered last month when eight players entered the Children and Junior Championships in Milton Keynes, winning four gold, three silver and one bronze medal between them.

The team was: Daniel Evans, Joe Jackson, Luke Olpin, Alistair Nimock, Chelsea Bailey, Jamie Jones, Richard Griffiths and Danielle Baker.

The club trains every Monday and Thursday, between 7pm-9pm, and has recently upgraded facilities thanks to a £225 grant from the Sandbach Lions.

Meanwhile, David hopes the forthcoming Olympic Games in Athens during August will raise the profile of the sport. He said: 'Although Tae Kwondo is thought to be the largest practised and fastest growing martial art in the world with more than 40m people in over 170 countries taking part, WTF is not so well known in Britain. That could all change if Paul Green, from Sale, Cheshire, wins a medal.' For more on the Matrix WTF Club, contact David Baker on 07785 577226.