It was all smiles and, of course, a few tears when karateka from all over Gauteng, and a few from Kenya, attended the Mohan Hira Karate Tournament held on Saturday, September 9, at the Park Primary School Hall.
Hussein Kibelolo, from Brazzaville, who is studying Mechanical Engineering in Johannesburg, was present at the tournament.
The winners, the ones with tears were not the losers, but were those who felt pain during the kumite stage of the tournament. The faint-hearted were also part of the participants, but that’s how the game goes.
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Close to 15 senior level karateka, who had a good showing in Durban, where they fared well and gained some good memories and experience, were here present from the Wednesday.
The team was lead by Gabriel Mutuku (Team Manager), Bonn Owili (Head Coach) and Patrick Kiane (Assistance Coach).
What was a bit of a problem was the standard of the refereeing which showed signs of being biasness in some ’fights’.
Participants came from Krugersdorp, Soweto, Alberton, Pretoria, Germiston and Lenasia.
We had a chat with Kibelolo about the referees and this is what he said, “The standard of the refereeing was not so bad and I am sure some of the people will not agree with that. I am happy with my Silver Medal.”
A delighted mother was over the moon when her daughter, Mahdiyah Shar, won two medals in kata and kumite.
Mohan Hira said, “The standard of the competition was generally good and this bodes well for the game. There are some teething problems but the level is increasing all the time. The karateka must ensure that they are ready to move up a level in competition. As your grading goes up so must you. Regular training and keeping fit will ensure one remains focused.”
Another Open Tournament was held on Saturday, September 16, at the Trade Route Mall.
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