‘After training, I feel better’: The 84-year-old black belt still packing a punch

Another group, Club Diamond from Ildo Taekwondo Academy, also performed. The club caters to those 60 and older and made a deliberate choice to include women without black belts in their performance.

This was in the hope that more women would take up the sport, said Ms Linda Sim, a taekwondo world champion who helped establish Club Diamond. She is also the oldest female member of TeamgOLD, but finds the training sessions there intimidating.

“TeamgOLD has a lot of men and they’re all black belts” who do a lot of “kicking and punching”, she said.

“Club Diamond allows people like myself … to keep enjoying, competing and staying healthy. It’s very much in line with active ageing,” she said.

Ms Sim said seniors are often told to choose tai chi rather than taekwondo.

“I want them to (do) taekwondo because they can do it. And taekwondo is more energetic, it’s more physical,” she said.