So-Kyokushin champs on cards

Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
JUNIOR karatekas will this weekend have the opportunity to showcase their talent when they compete in the Zimbabwe So-Kyokushin Youth Karate Championships at Magamba hall in Warren Park.
The tournament is slated for Saturday and will see athletes from 18 years and below taking part in six weight divisions from Under-25kg to over 65kg. It is being hosted by the Zimbabwe So-Kyokushin Union but is open to all other full contact styles.

So-Kyokushin Union technical director Kumbirai Musinami said they are happy to be holding the event having failed to stage local competitions last year.

“They are juniors, 18 years and below. It’s an open event for all karate styles that can compete in full contact rules. Everyone who wishes to participate is welcome.

“This is our first local event as So-Kyokushin Union, end of year we are going to have our champion of the champions. It’s important for us because we haven’t had local tournaments the whole of last year,” Musinami said.

The So-kyokushin Union technical director said the tournament will be a platform to prepare their juniors for upcoming regional tournaments.
“The idea is we need to develop talent from grassroots. We really need to develop these youngsters through these local tournaments and prepare them for regional events that will come so that they have an idea of what happens.

“For our karate to grow we need to develop the youngsters, create future world champions like Samson Muripo,” said Musinami.
Musinami said they are looking forward to a bigger event since they have not been holding local tournaments for quite some time now.

“We are looking at probably 100 or 120 athletes since we have not been having local tournaments, we expect the turnout to be high. IFK and Kyokushinkan have confirmed their participation. We are closing registration on the day of the competition to make sure that everyone gets the opportunity to participate,” said Musinami.

So-Kyokushin Union chief instructor, Samson Muripo said they will be using the tournament to assess the athletes and see the areas that need to be worked on.

“The purpose of the tournament is to try and see the standards of people, where they are and what can be done to improve. We want them to learn, we want to see their strength and weaknesses. And after this tournament we will be left with a lot of homework.

“Given resources we are supposed to host many of these tournaments in order to develop our fighters especially the kids. We are trying to groom and nurture talent,” said Muripo.