Bedfordview dojo nets 74 medals

Thirty-six karateka from Goju Kai Ekurhuleni Karate Academy in Bedfordview excelled when they competed in district trials.

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Held at Brakpan’s Indoor Sports Centre, the Ekurhuleni Elite and Development District Karate Trials saw the members walk away with 74 medals.

The trials were held to select an elite district team which would attend the Gauteng Karate Federation provincial trials, as well as a development team which would compete at the Gauteng Development Championships.

Both events will be held in February.

The academy’s shihan Russell Sim said the elite team is the best of the best in Ekurhuleni all-styles karate.

They will go head-to-head with the other four districts to determine who is the best in Gauteng.

He said the development team represents the second tier of karate athletes, those who aim to break into the ranks of elite athletes in the future.

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”Goju Kai dojo had by far the largest number of entries into the two tournaments and their successes speak volumes about the amount of hard work that went into their preparation.

“Every athlete who entered came back to the dojo with a medal, securing their places in the two Ekurhuleni teams,” said Sim.

A breakdown of the 56 medals earned during the elite section of the trials includes 23 gold, 22 silver and 11 bronze.

The 18 medals won during the Development District Karate Trials included six gold, four silver and eight bronze.

Twenty-nine karatekas qualified to represent the Ekurhuleni elite district karate team at the Gauteng Provincial trials.

Ten dojo members were selected for the Ekurhuleni development team.

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Individual results are as follows:

Elite Trials

• AJ van der Merwe – silver for kata and bronze for kumite.

• Caitlyn Routley – gold for kumite and bronze for kata.

• Chloe Keartland – gold for kata and silver for kumite.

• Mikayla Alves – gold for kumite and silver for kata.

• Connor Falls – bronze for kumite.

• Connor Hundermark – gold for kata and team kata.

• Cristiano Coelho – gold for kata and silver for kumite.

• Deidre Loots – gold for kata and bronze for kumite.

• Lilly Loots – gold for kumite and silver for kata.

• Tyler Penta – gold for kata and kumite.

• Giancarlo Ferrante – gold for kumite and silver for kata.

• Gugu Ndebele – bronze for kata and kumite.

• Nomthi Ndebele – gold for kumite and bronze for kata.

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• Riaan Turton – silver for kata and kumite.

• Jazmin Turton – bronze for kata and kumite.

• Izabella Turton – gold for kata and silver for kumite.

• Kate Ward – silver medals for kata and team kata.

• Suzaan Botha – gold for kata and kumite, silver for team kata.

• Mathew Soares – gold for kumite and team kata, silver for kata.

• Stefan van der Merwe – silver for kumite and team kata, bronze for kata.

• Phumelele Ngwenya – gold for team kata, silver for kumite and bronze for kata.

• Praneel Ramjee – gold for kata, silver for kumite and team kata.

• Prayan Ramjee – gold for kata and kumite.

• Tayla Murray – gold for kata, silver for kumite and team kata.

• Tyler Kabali-Kagwa – gold for kumite, silver for kata and team kata.

• Emily du Plooy – gold for kumite.

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Development Trials

• Knowledge Obada – silver for kumite and bronze for kata.

• Rizz all El-boustani – gold for kata and kumite.

• Cameron Holtzhauzen – bronze for kata and kumite.

• Mason Sellmann – bronze for kumite.

• Israel Obada – bronze for kata and kumite.

• Aidan Falls – gold for kata and silver for kumite.

• Allison Loots – bronze for kumite.

• Chloe McNamee-Sanchez – gold for kumite and silver for kata.

• Alex McNamee-Sanchez – gold for kumite and bronze for kata.

• Nakesha Desai – gold for kata and silver for kumite.

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