adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter—
LOCAL full contact karatekas will have the opportunity to showcase their skills in a high profile contest on home soil when the country hosts its first So-kyokushin International tournament in July.
The event is set for Harare on July 22 and will be graced by the vice-president of the International Karate Organisation Kyokushinkan: World So-kyokushin, Hanshi Daigo Oishi, a ninth dan black-belt holder from Japan.
While So-kyokushin is the hosting style, the tournament is open to other full contact styles and it’s the first time to have such a tournament in the country.
Local organising committee chairperson Likhwa Khumalo said they were considering seasoned fighters.
“At the moment we have finished registration for Zimbabwean fighters. We are now inviting registration for regional and international fighters. We are closing on February 15 and it means we have two weeks to finalise everything. This is a very big tournament. We are expecting a lot of fighters to come. We are not registering novices, we are registering seasoned and experienced fighters.
“This is the same tournament we travel to participate in Iran, Japan and Russia. So we are giving it a try and maybe in the future we can host a world tournament,” said Khumalo. He said they are hoping to engage Government for this tournament since it is the first of its kind in the country.
“We are very much interested to have the Government come on board. Karate has achieved so many things, we have achieved the status of a world champion (when Samson Muripo won a world title in 2009),” said Khumalo.
Zimbabwe Karate Union technical director (for full contact) Kumbirai Musinami said Hanshi Oishi will conduct a grading for black belt holders during his visit for the tournament.
“The plans for the tournament are earnestly underway. Chile and Japan have confirmed. We are just waiting for names from Brazil, Iran and Kazakhstan among other countries. There are quite a number of countries that have shown interest.
“We will be hosting the vice-president of So-kyokushin, Hanshi Daigo Oishi. He will be coming to Zimbabwe to conduct grading. This is probably one rare opportunity for Zimbabwean fighters to get graded by a highly ranked person,” Musinami said.
The ZKU technical director, who will be graded to fourth dan, said the tournament was key. “Our wish is if we host a great tournament, we are hoping to bid to host a world event. It will lift karate, we will grow and we want to grow so that we get to the same level with countries like Japan and Russia. Our committee is working very hard,” said Musinami.
Some of the fighters that have entered for this competition include former world champion Muripo, Admire Chingozhoro, Brian Chiringa and Tangai Mhlanga, who have all been to international tournaments before. South Africa-based Sydney Veremu (fourth dan) and Stanley Chapunza (third dan) from kyokushinkan are also part of the country’s top fighters that have confirmed their participation.
Online Reporter