Adorian crowned champion at world karate tournament in Japan

Adorian Nkhoma (10), a local junior karateka from the Umzinyathi District, was crowned champion in his division at the World Kyokushin Karate Tournament Kata Open Championships held in Japan.
There were 508 contestants from 44 different nations, with Adorian not only representing South Africa but also Africa.
He got to fight against the best in the world, together with teammates Cebolenkosi Zondi (9) and Lungisani Mabaso (27), who came third and fourth in the Kate and Kumite divisions respectively.
The competition, according to Adorian, was far tougher than the local competitions he is used to.
“Winning was a major success for me, because all the karatekas were very good and I felt nervous watching them fight before me.
“However, I fought to the best of my ability,” he said, adding that this was his first major competition and that it was an overwhelming experience to represent both his country and his hometown.
“Winning has proved to me that nothing is impossible and that this has literally been the start of my career,” exclaimed Adorian.
He also explained that travelling abroad was very expensive; they also had to travel to get to the venue of the tournament.
“We need all the support we can get financially to rebuild, as we had unforeseen expenses after raising R100,000 for travel. We also had to buy additional fighting gear when we got to Japan,” explained Adorian.
He concluded by thanking his school, family and friends, as well as Umzinyathi Mayor Petrus Ngubane, for all the support.