GKC, IKD Headquarters about $10M away from completion

…Facility has potential to boost sports tourism

The Guyana Karate College (GKC), after a decade of assiduous work, are hoping to soon complete their National Headquarters at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.
A stone’s throw away from the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) Headquarters, the GKC building is about 85% complete, and will also become the technical Headquarters for the International Karate Daigaku (IKD). The building is set to be named the ‘Frank Woon-A-Tai Budokan’ after world renowned Guyanese 10th Dan Frank Woon-A-Tai.

While the building in its current state does not have a specific price tag, the GKC has raised over $40M in funding for the building’s construction.
“We raised all this money to put up the steel. The steel, I guess, was the most expensive item here. An then we got some money from the Government, a grant. We had a lot of donations that came in from business people and businesses. So, I think we’re looking at another $10M to finish it, to be operational,” Master Frank Woon-A-Tai shared with media operatives during a walk- through of the building on Wednesday morning. “Some people donated money, some people donated materials,” he clarified.
While doors have already been installed on the Liliendaal building, the windows are yet to be installed. Another project which is yet to be completed is the concreting on the second floor, a factor that is proving tough for the GKC, considering Guyana’s booming construction sector at present.
“Another big expense is the concrete for the second floor, we’re waiting for the concrete. I understand there’s so much development right now in Guyana that it’s hard to get them to give us the second floor. And then there was some talk about the bricks, stone, for the concrete mix,” the 10th Dan divulged.
The IKD Headquarters is being constructed on a 1-acre plot of land which was given to the organization back in 2008 by then President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo. While the Budokan only takes up about 1/3rd of the land, the remaining space will be used to build a dormitory for visiting students of the Digaku.
Meanwhile, the main building will sport 4 dojos, offices, instructors’ lounge, changing rooms, washrooms, and sections for spectators. Once completed, IKD Headquarters will be shifted from Toronto to Guyana, a move that will boost the country’s sports tourism, since the IKD has a whopping 60 member countries and 80 regions under its jurisdiction.
“It’s very important,” Woon-A-Tai commented. He went on to add, “My headquarters in Toronto, the dojo is very small. You can’t afford something like this in Toronto, so this will be the technical headquarters, because a lot of people, especially from Africa and India, they want to come here and study.”
Probed on the significance of the building to the GKC, Woon-A-Tai responded, “It is significant because this will be the only dojo, perhaps in the world, that is being built from scratch for Karate.”
Further, Woon-A-Tai, remarking on the GKC’s ability to push sports tourism through the completion of their HQ, shared, “We have 95 regions – like Canada has 10 regions/ provinces – in 62 countries throughout the world, and this is the technical headquarters for that. So, the World Cup is going to be a big event that will boost sports tourism in Guyana.”
Last October, President Dr. Irfaan Ali pledged a whopping $10M towards the GKC project. Now the body believe they are another $10M away from completion. (Jemima Holmes)