The Guyana team with Master Frank Woon-a-Tai after the presentation of medals
At the recently held Caribbean Karate Championships in Grenada, the Guyanese karatekas won a total of 18 medals, comprising seven gold, six silver and five bronze. Gold was won by the Girls’ team comprising Christy Dey, Leah Shariff and Aliya Wong. The Girls’ mixed age group team Kata, as well as Aliya Wong in the Girls’ 10-12 Individual Kumite, also won gold.
Other gold medallists were Samuel Ming in the Boys’ 16-18 Individual Kata, Guy Low in the Seniors’ Individual Kata, and Christy Dey in the Girls’ Individual Kata and Kumite by virtue of being the only entry in these categories.
Silver medals were won by Aliya Wong in the Girls’ 10- 12 Individual Kata; Leah Shariff in the Girls’ 10-12 Individual Kumite; Eric Hing in the Boys’ 16-18 Individual Kumite; and Nathalie Gibson in the Adult Women’s Individual Kumite.
The Bronze medallists were Leah Shariff in the Girls’ 10- 12 Individual Kumite; Kemo Cornelius in the Boys’ 13- 15 Individual Kata; Eric Hing in the Boys’ 16-18 Individual Kata; Guy Low in the Seniors’ Individual Kumite; and Eric Hing, Romel Rameshwar and Kemo Cornelius in the Boys’ Mixed group team Kata.
Tishana Wong and Theresa Sampat teamed up with Ledisha Boyce of Barbados, and they took the silver in the Girls’ Mixed age group team Kata; while Samuel Ming teamed up with Kyle Fenty and Christopher Coppin of Barbados to take the Gold in the Boys’ Mixed group team Kata.
The attendance at the championships was not as good as in previous years, as only 56 karatekas from six countries participated. The recent strike by LIAT was quoted as the main cause for the poor participation.
However, the competition was of a high level, as the top medallists from last year’s Pan Am Games as well as the previous Caribbean championships were in attendance.
Aliya Wong should have been a double gold winner had it not been for a slight slip up in her Kata final. Eric Hing had an excellent chance in the Kumite final against Pan Am silver medallist Fenty of Barbados, but his overaggressiveness got him a warning and may have caused him to lose focus.
Nathalie Gibson, the current Pan Am champion, lost in a close encounter with Keisha Grimes of Barbados.
A bit more patience would have served her well, as she attacked a bit carelessly and was countered when the scores were even.
Samuel Ming’s performance in the Boys’ 16- 18 Individual Kata final was superb and drew loud cheers from those in attendance.
His score of 41.9 would have won him second place in the Adult Men’s event, which had a top score of 42.0. The silver medallist Kyle Fenty of Barbados scored 41.2, with Eric Hing on 41.0 for third. Ming, the Pan Am Kumite bronze medallist, did not enter the Kumite event. The next IKD karate event will be the World Championships, which will be held in Canada in July 2012.
Comments are closed.