Bulawayo to host karate champs

Takudzwa Chitsiga Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO will host the Lysavay Cup Karate Championship, sponsored by Lysavay, at Bulawayo Bowling Club today.

The tournament will be starting at 10am with several top karatekas expected to grace the occasion that will run under Japan Karate Association rules in the categories of kata (forms) and kumite (fighting).

A strong field of contestants is expected to feature at the tournament with some of the biggest names in the Shotokan karate style expected to participate.

Athletes such as David Dube, Victor Bhunu, Abychester Chikwanda, Tapiwa Matsivo, Simba Chihlaba, the Ziwira brothers of Tinashe, Tamuka and Tinotenda, Chikka Ndiripo, Fungai Muchenje, Emmanuel Mehlo, the Mukucha brothers Arnold and Elton, Pholani Khanyile, Nyasha Kumire and Golden Musiiwa are expected to take part.

In the ladies category fighters such as Hazel Chirima, Rumbidzai Mpate and Rejoice Foto will battle it out for honours.

Students from the National University of Science and Technology are also expected to feature at the competition in huge numbers.

The competition will also cater for many developing fighters as the junior belts category will be done under the go-hon (five step) and ippon (point) fighting system.

Zimbabwe JKA technical director Gibson Sangweni said the competition was a good platform for experienced and upcoming fighters to showcase their skills.

“We expect a high level of competition that will without a doubt showcase the quality of JKA Shotokan karate, which is one of the oldest and most practiced karate style.

“Whether one wins or loses, we expect this competition to allow us to monitor the talent at our disposal before the JKA World Cup and Africa Cup which we expect to take part in,” said Sangweni.

The competition will be a good base for the karate style to select potential fighters for the upcoming JKA World Federation (WF) World Cup (2017) and Africa Cup (2018) to be held in Ireland and South Africa.