Members of Goju Kai Academy take twenty medals from festival
Sixteen of the dojo members were also selected for the South African team for the Region South Southern African Championships to be held later this year.
The Goju Kai Ekurhuleni Karate Academy in Bedfordview recently attended the Arnold Classic Africa Multi-Sport Festival held in Ruimsig.
ALSO READ: Wrestlers of local club scoop medals at tournament
This competition sees the best South African karateka competing to earn the coveted title of champion in their age group.
The dojo brought back 40 medals, with 22 gold, nine silver and nine bronze medals.
Eleven Arnold Classic national titles were claimed at the competition.
Shihan Russell Sim, the head of the dojo, stated, “We managed to keep up the momentum from our previous national champs leagues, as our athletes performed very well.
ALSO READ: Local rowers scoop medals in Croatia
“There is always the danger of burnout in athletes and the karate calendar is extremely hectic at the moment.
“The students, however, with very little rest between competitions and training camps, managed to lift themselves and tackle all opposition at the Arnold Classic.
“This is an unprecedented number of medals for our dojo from this event, and I am very proud of the way our dojo athletes took on the opposition.”
He added that it was becoming difficult for the athletes to attend all the events on the karate calendar, as costs are enormous and tournament attendance is becoming prohibitively expensive.
Sixteen of the dojo members were also selected for the South African team for the Region South Southern African Championships to be held later this year.
“A great deal of fundraising will be required. Despite all the economic challenges and time constraints, our dojo members soldier on in the hope of, one day, representing their country overseas. This is what drives them to achieve,” he added.
ALSO READ: Bedfordview karatekas rake in the medals
Individual results from the Arnold Classic were as follows:
Suzaan Botha: gold medals for team kata and kumite, and bronze medal for kata
Prayan Ramjee: gold medals for kata and kumite
Chloe Keartland: gold medals for team kata and kumite
Mikayla Alves: silver medal for kumite and bronze medal for kata
Connor Falls: bronze medal for kumite
Mathew Soares: gold medal for team kata and silver medal for kata
Riaan Turton: silver medal for kata
Izabella Turton: silver medal for kata
Cristiano Coelho: silver medal for kata
Nomthi Ndebele: bronze medal for kumite
Tayla Murray: gold medal for team kata
Kate Ward: gold medal for team kata
Bongi Ngwenya: gold medal for team kata
Bradley Ho-Tong: gold medal for team kata
ALSO READ: Holy Rosary learner nabs medals at championships
Jesse Sim: gold medal for team kata and bronze medal for kata
AJ van der Merwe: gold medal for team kata and silver for kumite
Connor Hundermark: gold medals for team kata and kata
Jazmin Turton: gold medal for team kata
Gabriella Toweel: gold medals for team kata and kata, and silver medal for kumite
Praneel Ramjee: gold medal for team kata, and bronze medals for kata and kumite
Tyler Kabali-Kagwa: gold medal for team kata, and silver medals for kata and kumite
Stefan van der Merwe: gold medal for team kata, silver for kumite and bronze for kata
