This past Sunday the Harpy Eagles Karate Club, coached by Guyana’s most decorated sensei, Troy Bobb, kicked up a storm at the Little Diamond Martial Arts Academy’s Third National Open Karate Championships at the Diamond Community Centre Building East Bank Demerara.’
Harpy Eagles carted off 33 first place finishes, eight – second place and seven – third place finishes.
They also won 21 trophies and 29 medals in the tourney that had a minimum age limit of six-years-old.
The tournament’s disciplines included individual kata, kumite and Open free form and weapon.
There was also a team kumite championship (team consisted of five members) where the Harpy Eagles club also dominated.
First place finishers were Lazaro Scott (kata), Nicola McDonald (sparring), Kendel Fraser (kata), Venita McDonald (kata & weapon), Ricardo Thomas (sparring), Jasaney Tyndall (sparring), Omesh Lallchand (kata, weapons, sparring), Ryan Daniels (sparring), Steve Samuels (kata), Khadiya St. Clair (kata, sparring), Troy Bobb Jr. (kata, weapons, sparing), Dion Bobb (sparring), Allede Barker (weapons), Shaka Inniss (team sparring), Lester Lewis (team sparring) and Venica Talbort (kata, sparring).
The most outstanding athlete of the tournament was Ryan Beaton who finished first in team sparring, kata, weapons and sparring.
Second place finishers included Tamera Austin (kata, sparring), Venita McDonald (sparring), Dion Bobb (kata, weapons), Lester Lewis (kata) and Rayon Lee (kata, weapons).
Third place kata winners were Hosea Gulliver, Kemo Scott, Ryan Daniels and Shaka Inniss, while Alex Yassen, Inniss and Bano Joseph finished third in the sparring discipline.
Sensei Bobb stated that it was a good competition and his team performed creditably. He thanked Apex Academy for continually supporting his club.