Sport / Martial Arts
Coburg martial arts prodigy to represent Australia at world championships
Kadir Erkut has been training at taekwondo since the age of four
Brunswick Voice
A FUNDRAISING campaign has been launched to help a Coburg teenager compete at the World Taekwondo Junior Championships later this year.
Kadir Erkut, a 16-year-old student from Coburg High School has earned selection to represent Australia at the upcoming championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from April 12-17, marking a major milestone for both the athlete and his local club.
Kadir, who trains at Team Taekwondo in Pascoe Vale, secured his place on the Australian national taekwondo team in the Under 78kg division after winning all of his matches at the national selection event held in Sydney in February.
But it will cost about $5500 in airfares, accommodation and other expenses to join the 20 member Australian team in Uzbekistan. Kadir’s coach, Murat Eryurek, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $3000 towards his travel costs.
Kadir began training in taekwondo, a form of martial arts that originated in Korea in the middle of last century, at the age of four. After 12 years of consistent dedication and development, he is now a second dan black belt and his selection reflects years of hard work, discipline and steady progress through the ranks.
Eryurek said the achievement was the result of long-term commitment and focused preparation. The Year 11 student trains at the Pascoe Vale gym for about two hours a day, six days a week.
Eryurek said Kadir’s talent had been identified at about 10 years of age, and it had then been a matter of working on other elements of his taekwondo to get him to the level he is now.
“It’s been a 10 year journey to get here and it’s a credit to his parents,” he said.
“When Kadir came he, he didn’t like fighting but then he was able to grow into his skin.
“He’s a natural talent but he needs to control that talent and harness it.
“It’s getting him to use it when he needs to, controlling his nerves and his energy.
“From about 10 or 11, we worked on training him to compete, improving his co-ordination, his flexibility, his reaction so all the parts of his brain and his body are ready and developed.
“Over the last two years he’s had a lot of experience at local, national and even international events which have tested and challenged him. He’s now at the level where he’s no longer a developing athlete and the results [at the national selection event] weren’t a surprise.”
Kadir’s father, Ramazan Erkut, described the achievement as a proud moment for their family and community.
“My son has always had passion and high energy,” he said.
“I thank Coach Murat for guiding that energy toward sporting success. Kadir’s achievement is a role model story for all high-energy Australian-Turkish children.”
Reflecting on his journey, Kadir said his development extended beyond physical skills.
“When I was younger, I had a lot of energy and made mistakes in my game,” he said.
“My coach worked on both my skills and my mindset to help me become a better athlete I’ll always be grateful for that.”
From a local club of just 200 members to international competition, Eryurek said Kadir’s selection highlights the strength of community sport and the impact of long-term athlete development.
“Today is a reflection of 12 years of commitment. Our club continues to produce national athletes thanks to carefully developed programs built over decades, supported by dedicated coaches, athletes and families.
“It’s an honour to sit in the chair and watch my athletes succeed. Kadir will make us proud – this is the next big step.”
Another of Eryurek’s former students, Reyna Herbertson of Brunswick, represented Australia at the World Taekwondo Championships in Wuxi, China, last year.
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