Taekwondo helped these girls stay on the straight and narrow

DILI - For the two taekwondo exponents from Timor Leste, the fight to wear the colours of the nation at the Youth Olympic Games included facing down gangsters who wanted to pick a fight.

Teen violence is rampant in the nation of 1.1 million people and martial arts groups, whose registered members currently total 20,000, provide a sense of security and identity for youngsters in a country where unemployment is around 60 per cent among those aged between 15 to 19 years.

Celfia Maria Silva Freitas and Miloria Hanarisa de Araujo dos Santos, both 17, were sometimes challenged to fights by gang members, who knew the girls did taekwondo.

Miloria, who is the country's flag-bearer of the Games, said: "It was difficult at times but we always ignored them and simply walked off because we did not want to spoil the name of the sport."

The desire to show that martial arts can be a force for sporting glory rather than thuggery drove Celfia and Meloria to pursue competition. Automatically, that meant daily training.

In the build-up to the Youth Olympics, the pair began each day working out from 6am to 8am. Daily chores followed, with school at noon. With school ending at 4pm, the day ended with another two-hour workout session.

Said Miloria: "It was tough. Sometimes, when I was really tired, my mother and siblings would massage my feet.

"My family is very supportive of me, especially when I'm taking part in a martial art like taekwondo. To them, I'm doing something productive with my time, instead of mixing with street gangs."

Coach Oraceo De Souza, who started training the pair three months ago, believes the girls have the potential to exceed expectations here.

He is not hoping for medals, but expects them not to back down against competitors from powerhouses like South Korea and Thailand.

Said De Souza: "This is a rare chance for them to bring glory to a young nation that most people have not heard of. This is the time for them to show the world that Timor Leste can, despite the challenges, compete on the world stage."