adminHarare Bureau
NINE karatekas are expected to head for Bulgaria early next month to battle it out in the World Kyokushin Union Championships.
The event is scheduled for 4 to 6 October with participants from various full contact styles expected to take part in the global event.
Zimbabwe Karate Union technical director for full contact styles, Tendayi Mutikani, said preparations were in full gear and they were hoping to send nine fighters for the championships.
Participants will fight for honours in nine categories ranging from Under-65kg to Under-95kg.
“On the technical side we are okay, everything is progressing well and we have been having our squad training at Empire Gym and Raylton.
“I think we are getting there in terms of preparations and we do not have injuries. Our worry now is the air tickets, so far we have six tickets and we need to send nine fighters and some officials because what we want is to field one fighter per category but in the event that we fail to get enough tickets we will be forced to send a smaller number determined by the tickets we have.
“We will give first preference to the athletes,” said Mutikani. The team is made up of seasoned and up-and-coming fighters.
It features former world champion, Samson Muripo, Mugove Muhambi, Tawanda Mufundisi, Admire Chingozhoro, Naison Chituva, Brian Chiringa, Tinashe Matika and the Mucheni brothers – Austin and Robson. After the championships in Bulgaria, Zimbabwe will be hoping to compete at the International Karate Organisation Kyokushin Kaikan World So-Kyokushin tournament in China on 20 October.
“There are two events but at the moment we are concentrating on the event in Bulgaria which is a combined full contact styles tournament while the one in China is for kyokushin and Muripo is likely to go but if we do not get injuries in Bulgaria we would want more guys to go,” said Mutikani.
Online Reporter