Twenty-five karatekas from the Goju Kai St Andrew’s Karate Academy in Bedfordview recently entered the Gauteng Development Championships, as well as the Gauteng provincial trials.
ALSO READ: Kick-off in Edenvale
All karatekas had to qualify at the Ekurhuleni all-styles karate championships, where the top four in each division were selected for the Ekurhuleni elite and development teams.
The dojo’s karatekas spent their entire December holidays preparing for the event and took home 19 medals: eight gold, six silver and five bronze medals in total from the provincial elite championships.
In addition, the team also received 14 medals (seven gold, three silver and four bronze) from the development championships.
The Gauteng Provincial Trials served as a tournament to choose the top four karatekas in the province for each division.
These students will then go on to represent Gauteng at the Karate South Africa National All-Styles Championships in March.
At the trials, Mathew Soares was awarded a gold medal for kata and a bronze medal for kumite, while Marco Botha received a silver medal for kumite.
ALSO READ: First rugby friendlies played in Edenvale
AJ van der Merwe and Gabriella Toweel each received gold medals for kata and kumite.
Sempai Jesse Sim achieved a silver medal for kata and Cristiano Coelho walked away with a silver medal for kata and a bronze medal for kumite.
Michael Hauptfleisch received a silver medal for kumite, while Connor Falls was awarded a bronze medal for kumite.
Connor Hundermark was awarded a gold medal for unison kata and a bronze medal for kata.
Tyler Kabali-Kagwa received a gold medal for unison kata, as well as silver medals for kata and kumite.
Phumelele Ngwenya won a gold medal for unison kata, while Jason Nofal walked away with a bronze medal for kumite.
The district and provincial development system also allow athletes who have not yet made the elite teams to participate in a separate tournament so they too can hone their skills in the hope that one day they will break into the elite ranks.
Several students from the St Andrew’s Karate Academy represented the Ekurhuleni Development team at the Gauteng Development Championships.
At the event, Neha Soman was awarded a silver medal for kumite and a bronze medal for kata, while Deidre Loots walked away with gold medals for kata and kumite.
Lillian Loots won a gold medal for kata and a silver medal for kumite, and Emily du Plooy was awarded a gold medal for kumite and a bronze medal for kata.
Jayden Flack received a bronze medal for kumite and Jazmin Turton a silver medal for kumite.
Izabella and Riaan Turton each won a gold medal for kumite, while Prayan Ramjee walked away with a bronze medal for kata.
Kate Ward received gold medals for kata and kumite.
Three dojo members, Sanjay Ramjee, Arnoldus van der Merwe and Tyler Penta, also passed their provincial judging licences and are now qualified to referee at any provincial event.
Leanne Keartland, Petrus van der Merwe, Marie Soares and Sonja van der Merwe passed their provincial tournament official qualifications and can now officiate at all provincial-level tournaments.
Also follow us on:
