Karatekas of the Guyana Karate College (GKC) stepped up their training regimen when they went through their paces at the Marudi Resort on the Linden Highway last weekend.
Instructor at the GKC, Fifth Dan Jeffrey Wong carried out the exercise to tune the karatekas up for the 11th International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF) Pan-American Karate Championships.
The tournament is scheduled to run from August 12-15 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).
According to Wong he wants the students to be mentally and physically fit for the event and the instructors at the college will be using all avenues to ensure that the karatekas are successful at the championships.
More than 20 countries and over 500 karatekas are expected to participate in the tournament.
Some of the karatekas involved are gold medal hopefuls, black belts Ashley Lopes and Kenny Wong and Eric Hing, who have all expressed their confidence and optimism at being successful in the championships.
Wong had earlier stated that the instructors are looking to familiarise the athletes with some of the revised rules of the ISKF. Also in the run-up to the tournament, Masters Teruyuki Okazaki and Yutaka Yaguchi will be hosting a training symposium, seminars, and examinations that will be sanctioned by the ISKF, at the Princess Hotel.
It is unclear how many athletes Guyana will be fielding at this year’s tournament but Stabroek Sport understands that Trinidad & Tobago will have one of the largest contingents at the games. The GKC, on the other hand, will be joining forces with the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Dojo, which is headed by Sensei Amir Khouri.
The championships will see karatekas competing in the team and individual kata as well as the kumite event.
