Champion of Champions karate tourney on cards

Champions tournament in Kwekwe.
The tournament is targeting all karate styles practised in the country as the curtain comes down this season.

Zimbabwe Karate Union president, Simba Chikuto, said the tournament was one of the biggest events they hold as the national association brings the karate family together.
“Preparations are going on well and yesterday there was a referees’ course. It feels like it’s going to be a good tournament. Tomorrow we are going to have another course in Kwekwe for the guys there and from Bulawayo. We are going to use the Zone Six categories whereby we have 10 categories and we are expecting more than 100 fighters.

“We had so many guys who attended the course confirming their participation. This is the most prestigious tournament of the year we hold once a year. People would want to prove themselves,” said Chikuto.

Chikuto said people should expect good competition at the tournament as it will be a platform for the selection of the team for the Zone Six Championships.
“At the moment we are looking at the quality. I am actually expecting high quality and standards as people try to prove themselves. Some have been into the national team.

“Gerald Makusha, Winston Nyanhete, Justin Mashiri and Zibusiso Muloiswa are some of the guys who have been fighting in the national team.
“They are still energetic and still have got some years ahead of them. In the juniors division we are expecting Nyasha Kumire, who is an upcoming fighter, to shine,” said Chikuto.

In preparations for the event the Zimbabwe Karate Union yesterday held a referees’ course at Alex Sports Club to update the referees on the new rules of the sport introduced by the World Karate Federation.

The marketing executive of ZKU, Joe Rugwete, conducted the course and 18 participants from eight karate styles took part. “The course went on very well as anticipated, the ZKU executive was represented. We had eight different styles – shotokan, kimura shukokai, shitoryu kofukan, extreme conduct karate, urakashi, FK kyokushin, kyokushinkai and dentokan.

“We had senior instructors and all those styles were represented at senior level. So far five styles have confirmed their participation in the tournament – dentokan, kimura shukokai, bino-ryu, kyokushin and shotokan.