Kiara achieves success at African karate champs

LOCAL resident and karate champ, Kiara Lakaram, is no stranger to accolades. The 21-year-old who is from the Shotokan Karate International federation recently returned from Morocco where she captained a senior women’s team to third place.

Lakaram and two other teammates represented South Africa at the Union des Fédérations Africaines de Karaté (UFAK) Championships in Tangier, winning a bronze trophy for their kata performances.

“It was an honour captaining my country and helping mentor my two younger teammates, who are in their matric year, to secure bronze. We came up against some tough competition competing against more than 40 countries at the championships. Our goal was to get into the top five and we were absolutely thrilled with our results and I’m extremely proud of what we had achieved against top opposition,” she said.

A business science student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Lakaram said she started practicing karate in Grade 3 under the tutelage of her father, who is a sensei in Shotokan Karate. Lakaram added that representing South Africa at various continental and international tournaments has helped her gain confidence in both her kata and kumite.

“For any young athlete the best way to learn and test your mettle is to compete at international tournaments. Karate has empowered me to gain new confidence levels but I also feel that by watching and learning from other competitors helps you grow in the sport. I’ve learned from every competition I’ve competed at,” she said.

While much of this year’s tournaments have been ruled out due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Lakaram has already begun mentally and physically preparing for next year’s competitions.

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