Martial arts: Kilmarnock black belt gets gold medal

Jun 26 2009 by Clair Fullarton, Kilmarnock Standard

TAEKWONDO black belt Desmond Harkin has just returned from the ITF European Championships with a gold medal.

Desmond, formerly of Kilmarnock and now of Mauchline, was part of a six-man strong team representing Scotland at the event in Pula, Croatia, last month.

The week-long event saw 28 teams from all over the continent competing in one of Taekwondo’s toughest challenges.

Desmond, 27, beat off rivals from Germany, Spain and Russia to bring home gold. He is now in training for the ITF World Taekwondo Championships being held in Korea in 2010, and would like to thank his local sponsors Gastight.