Karatekas assemble during the opening ceremony of the 2017 championships
The Guyana Karate Federation (GKF) held their 2017 National Championships on Sunday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, and a top class exhibition of martial artistry was on display as participants each vied for an opportunity to become the country’s top fighter.
With its card billed for an entire day of action, the GKF kicked off proceedings with a number of elimination matches which featured participation from clubs across Guyana. There were some 18 top class events involving 46 competitors — 11 females and 35 males.
Delivering the feature address during the competition’s opening ceremony, Colin Shaw, one of the head coordinators of Robotics in Guyana, pointed out that karate is a fun and relaxing sport, and is a great way to maintain physically fit while teaching one’s self discipline.
Speaking on the importance of having a sport like karate as part of the CXC syllabus, Shaw explained that it was a good initiative to have students involved in the arts.
4th Dan Roger Perone going through one of his Katas during Sunday’s National Championships held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH)
GKF president, Sensei Amir Khouri, during a brief interview following the opening ceremony, said he was overwhelmed by the turnout and performances he had seen.
Khouri told Guyana Times Sport that he was pleased with the display of techniques from the fighters, especially those senior karatekas on display. He added that while he was a bit undone by the turnout, he was nevertheless happy that most of the top fighters from across the country were present.
Senior karateka and 4th Dan, Roger Perone, was among the top fighters to excel during his displays of Kata and Kumite in the senior male categories, while less recognized fighters were also keen to the task, executing the various Katas and techniques exceptionally well.
Sensei Amir believes that the tournament will help those top performers to stay sharp ahead of upcoming assignments. He added that more international exposure is needed to breed top-quality fighters, who will then have a stronger platform to work with heading into Pan American World competitions and eventually Olympics.
Up until press time, the competition was still underway, with the male and female Kumite as well as the 3 on 3 team battles yet to be contested.
