THE third United World Karate South Africa National Championships took place at The Boardwalk Hotel’s Tsitsikamma Room on May 5, where more than 260 karateka competed on six floors in categories ranging from novice to elite.
In the veteran men’s brown and black belt kata category, Mzwandile Matebese of Joza Karate Club in Grahamstown won gold, while the Western Cape’s JP Muller (Brackenfell Shotokan Karate Academy) claimed the top position in the veteran men’s kumite.
Anne Hartley of East Cape Shotokan-Ryu in Port Alfred won gold in the veteran ladies’ kata category.
The cadet boys (age 15 to 17) red to black belt male kata and kumite categories were both won by Brent Smith of East Cape Shotokan Ryu, Grahamstown.
Morishca Minnie of PE Noord won gold in the cadet girls’ (age 15 to 17) red to black belt kata category and in a controversial kumite final in the same age category, Kayle Olivier of East Cape Shotokan-Ryu was awarded gold after her opponent was disqualified for excessive contact.
There was action aplenty in the senior men’s brown to black belt kata and kumite categories with Jacques Bardenhorst of Dragons Karate Club (Gauteng) winning both gold medals.
Shaun Kapp (Dragon Suburbs Karate Dojo, Port Elizabeth) and Lutho Singata (Rhodes University Shotokan Karate Club, Grahamstown) were the respective silver medallists in the kata and kumite categories.
Both Bardenhorst and Singata will be travelling to Dundee, Scotland for the WUKF World Championships next month.
Tanya de Villiers of PE Noord Karate Club clinched the senior ladies’ brown and black belt kata category, while Mel Ackerman of East Cape Shotokan-Ryu, Grahamstown placed second. These positions were reversed in the kumite category, with Ackerman taking gold and De Villiers silver.
UWKSA president Gary Grapentin said, “The championship was extremely successful with UWKSA once again showing positive growth in membership over the past 12 months.
“Based on results achieved at the weekend’s championship, a team will be selected to represent UWKSA at the 2019 UWK World Championships.”
He said this was the first time that the championship had been held in Port Elizabeth.
