Kyokushin's All-African championship attracts

The second edition of the All-African Kyokushin Karate Championship in Windhoek will be a special occasion, the media was told at its launch at the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) offices yesterday.The continental showpiece competition of the Kyokushin World Union (KWU), which runs from today until Sunday at Crete Gymnastics Club’s venue at Maerua Mall, will see athletes from eleven African countries competing for top honours.Namibia will be represented by 150 athletes from the Namibia Full-Contact Martial Arts Federation, supported by 20 officials and 20 volunteers from eight regions.Speaking at the press conference, Zambian coach and technical director of Zambia Kyokushin Kenbukaikan, Shihan Farai Mangaba, expressed the team’s strong desire to succeed in the competition, indicating that they have come with the sole goal of scooping medals.“Zambia has come with six fighters. We promised our people at home that we would return with six gold medals, so that is what we have come for. People should come and see what Zambia has to offer in terms of karate,” he invited.Development of the sportShihan Aleksandr Pichkunov, secretary-general of the sport’s governing body the KWU, expressed optimism about the competition, indicating it is a great opportunity for Namibia and African countries as a whole, particularly for the sport's development.“Thank you to the ministry of sports for supporting this sport and championship, and thank you to Shihan Simba [Mangaba], the main organiser for this competition. I hope this event will go well and I invite everybody to watch it,” he said.Tunisian coach Shihan Ali Ghabbech also extended his appreciation for Mangaba’s invitation, indicating that the competition has the full support of the Tunisian Federation of Kyokushin Karate and Martial Arts (FTKAM). “Thank you to Shiham Simba for the invitation and thank you to Taha Bagga (president of the FTKAM and president of the Kyokushin African Union) for supporting and encouraging Shihan Simba to host this great competition.“We are here with four competitors – two women and two men. We invite everyone to come and watch this great event,” he encouraged.'Exponential gift'Kyokushin African Union president Taha Bagga described the karate style as an exponential gift to the African sport. He mentioned that they had already organised two Kyokushin events in September alone.“The first was in Libya, from September 3 to 6. The second was held in Conakry, Guinea, from September 12 to 15. Finally, following our success in Tunisia in 2022, we are now hosting our second African Championship here in Namibia,” he said.He highlighted the importance of the sport and indicated that the union plans to advance the development of Kyokushin karate in Africa.“Kyokushin has for the first time reached 33 countries on the continent and this is very important for the sport. We thus call on all federations and organisations to support our efforts to make Kyokushin an Olympic sport,” Bagga said.Winning in Namibia 'not so easy’NSC chief administrator Freddy Mwiya expressed excitement about the competition and appreciated the early arrival of the teams from Zambia, Angola, Tunisia, South Africa and Malawi.“Our small country, known for its hospitality, is honoured to welcome everyone. Our minister is aware of the event and will attend the official opening on Sunday. We hope to declare this sport for consideration by the Olympic Committee, which will be a special moment,” he said.In a light-hearted manner, Mwiya warned the competitors that winning wouldn’t be easy on Namibian soil. “Zambia mentioned they are bringing six fighters and aiming for six medals.“I want to warn you that once you cross the Zambezi River into Namibia, those medals won’t be going back with you. There’s no way you can beat us at home, especially with the strong athletes we have here in Namibia. We wish all teams the best of luck and look forward to a fair competition.”– mariud@nsh.com.na

Kyokushin's All-African championship attracts

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Republikein 2024-11-15

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Kyokushin's All-African championship attracts

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