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Junior karate champs set for next month

The Kyokushin Union of Zim­babwe will early next month hold their second Junior and Colts Karate Championships in Harare. The tournament is slated for April 7 in Highfield and is expected to attract fighters from Domboshava, Mutare and Harare. Participants will battle it out in six categories — Under-16, Under-21kg, Under-30kg, Under-40kg, Under–50kg and Under-65kg.

The competition is in preparation for the Southern Africa Kyokushin Union Junior Karate tournament to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, in June. Tournament co-ordinator, Muchi-neripi Tarwireyi, said they are mainly targeting up-and-coming karatekas under the age of 18.

“We are considering people below 18 years. We are expecting 100 fighters because we have got a lot of juniors in these categories. We have got fighters coming from outside Harare but most of the juniors are from Harare.

“We want to groom them so that they become international fighters. In June, we are supposed to go to Cape Town and it’s a way of preparing for future regional tournaments.

“We are also going to have a semi­nar in preparation of the tournament and that’s when we are going to select those who are in the top three,” said Tarwireyi.

Tarwireyi said the forthcoming event is open to other styles and some have already confirmed their partici­pation. “We have other fighters from differ­ent organisations. We have the Inter­national Karate Federation and the Kyokushinkan, those are the only two that have responded to our invitation so far but we are still expecting other styles. “Registration will start on the first week of April,” said Tarwireyi.

Tarwireyi said they are expecting tough competition, as some of the fighters who missed the opening tour­nament of the year will be available for the event.

“We had some fighters who had injuries and missed the first tourna­ment but are back and will be compet­ing. There’s going to be a difference in this tournament, everyone wants to win so there is going to be high com­petition,” Tarwireyi said. Over the past years the union has been holding combined tournaments for seniors and juniors. However, this year saw them staging the tournaments separately in an effort to promote the development of young karatekas.