Duduza – Young karate fighters from the Kyokushia Karate dojo commemorated June 16 by honouring the memory of their late sensei, Oupa ‘Chicken’ Dube, at Duduza Stadium.
Participants from Gauteng took part in the tournament.
Oupa, who died in 2014, was a dedicated karate teacher and encouraged many young people to join the sport.
Karate coach Linda Ngubane says they felt the need to honour Oupa for his contribution to the sport in the area.
“He played a big role in the sport by taking young children off the street corners and enrolling them in karate.
“He taught them discipline, dedication and respect for themselves, elders and the sport.
“He was a positive role model for many fighters in the area,” he says.
Linda says this event will be the first of the many annual commemorations for ‘Chicken’.
“We will be hosting the event on this day through the years because we want his memory to live on.
“We believe he deserves to be commemorated among the young people in this country as someone who made a positive impact on the lives of many people,” he says.
Linda says they are encouraging more young people in the area to enroll in karate.
“There are different karate centres across Gauteng which are free and ready to welcome new members.
“We are also encouraging parents to allow their children to join the sport because it is another way of fighting social ills, such as crime and substance abuse.
“When these children have too much time on their hands they end up spending it on wrong activities and being motivated by the wrong type of people,” he says.
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