The Sunday News
Mthabisi Tshuma, Sports Correspondent
GWERU Sports Club is the venue for the Zimbabwe-Japan Karate Association (JKA) Team Championships which will be held on 4 May.
The tournament is expected to attract a number of competitors from across the country, who practice the Shotokan karate style.
As was last year, each team will be made up of two males and a female competitor, a move meant to encourage more female participation.
Tanyaradzwa Ziwira and Rumbidzai Ureke, were last year the only females to compete alongside males in the event held in Bulawayo.
Zimbabwe JKA spokesperson, Oswelled Ureke said they hope for a great turnout this year as the martial art is being highly incorporated in societies nationwide.
“Last year we had 10 teams for adults and this year we expect a huge turnout on the day where we will also conduct the draw to determine which team competes against which. All the Under-16’s who are classified under children will form their own teams that will compete against each other,” said Ureke.
Competitors will battle it out in the Kata and Kumite categories, while children will be given a chance to compete individually.
The Zimbabwe JKA team last year participated in the JKA/WF Africa Cup held in South Africa where Hassley Mapanzure won bronze in the junior’s individual kumite.
University students who excelled at the 2019 Zimbabwe Universities Sports Association Cluster One Games karate competitions held in Bulawayo in March, are part of the athletes expected to light up the adult competition against competitors from Harare, Gweru, Kwekwe and Bulawayo.
Hwange karatekas are also expected to grace the occasion after Morgan Gorerino and Learnmore Mangilazi have made efforts in the past to resuscitate the sportin that part of the country. — @mthabisi_mthire
