This is part of a series of new articles covering the 2006 Junior World Champs which were held prior to the development of TKDAction.com and my subsequent time photographing and reporting on ITFNZ events. My goal is to capture these records for the long term enjoyment of those that came, and their friends and family who supported the competition from home in NZ.
The 2006 Junior World Champs in Honduras started on Friday 14th July. Back then the Junior and Senior World Champs events were held separately on alternate years. This was to be the last one before they were permanently combined in 2007 into a single event. For the Juniors selected in 2006 it meant an advantage as they could return to New Zealand and keep the intense training momentum for the following year's World Championships in Canada.
We flew to LA and then on to Houston where we had several days to get over jet-lag and intensify our preparation.
2006 in Honduras was a relatively stable period prior to the constitutional crisis in 2009 that threw the country into turmoil.
However, my observation when we visited was that Honduras suffered from substantial unemployment (I believe about 40%) and without social welfare there was evidence of a society familiar with crime.
Arriving at the airport after an interesting day flying in was relatively modern, but as we piled onto an old bus and drive through the suburbs we observed all the houses being behind high walls topped with looped laser wire and steel gates. We passed a man walking down the centre of a street with a metre long machete menacingly resting on his shoulder. We saw armed guards placed outside businesses and shops. The reality of being in a different society to what we were accustomed sank in quickly.
As we entered our hotel, the hotel had armed guards and were well prepared to keep us safe and to guard us against our own potential naivety.
We were lucky to have had a very enjoyable, safe and happy time and experienced no significant issues during our stay. We had relative freedom to "tour" out and about in well organised and well supervised excursions in the city and surrounding hills.
These articles house the the story of our buildup through to weigh in for the competition, using reports written by our official reporter, Mr Gwyn Brown, and the photographs that I immersed myself in taking and some memories I can recall.
27 May 2006 - Where it started for me - 1st Junior World Champs Taupo Camp...
The second Taupo Camp 24 June 2006...
6 July 2006 - Hello Houston...
Training under ground in the car park...
Houston to Tegucigalpa, Honduras...
More exploring and splashing about...
