The Guyana Karate College (GKC) will stage the International Karate Daigaku (IKD) sanctioned Guyana Caribbean Karate Cup at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Homestretch Avenue from August 23rd-25th.
This was disclosed by the GKC in an official release. According to the correspondence, more than 100 overseas athletes have confirmed their participation for the prestigious championship.
Among the nations that are slated to be represented by officials and competitors are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
The release stated, “Athletes will compete in individual events like kata, which is a choreographed pattern of movements, as well as kumite or sparring. There will also be several team events, including kata, kumite, along with bunkai (formal application of kata) and enbu (practical applications of bunkai fighting techniques) events.”
Participants will compete for medals, with the coveted Caribbean Cup trophy being awarded to the country with the highest Gold Medal count.
Guyanese Shuseki Shihan (World Karate Master) Frank Woon-A-Tai, 9th Dan, M.S., said, “This will be another milestone in the history of traditional karate in Guyana and the region. Several eighth and seventh dan masters will be attending to support fair judging, and competition will be fierce.”
Woon-A-Tai, who also holds the portfolio of head of the IKD organisation, which is represented in 70 regions in 50 countries worldwide, further said, “However, I respectfully appeal to all competitors and spectators to remember that the aim of the art of karate is not in winning or losing, but in the development of the character of all participants. We teach disciplined and the strongest karate along with molding good citizens…”
Admission is $500 except for the overseas delegations and the GKC expects the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall to be packed to full capacity.
All the kata, enbu and bunkai events will commence on Saturday, August 24th from 9:00am, while the kumite, bunkai and enbu demonstrations will be staged on Sunday, August 25th, from 9:00am.
