THE fifth edition of the Japanese Ambassador Karate Cup Championships will finally take place at the City Sports Centre on Saturday.
Report by Ranganai Dzotizei The championships had been slated for August 4, but were postponed due to the unavailability of the Japanese ambassador, whose embassy is the prime sponsor of the event. Zimbabwe Karate Union (ZKU) president, Joe Rugwete, told Standardsport that preparations for the event were now at an advanced stage. “We are now ready to host the event. We have secured medals, doctors, booked the venue and trained the referees, so it’s all systems go,” he said. The tournament is the only one which will have the full contact and the semi-contact fighters fighting under the same roof for both male and female categories. Chigwete said a lot had changed, as referees have undergone intense training, unlike in previous years where they chose senior instructors to handle the matches. this development is expected to improve the quality of the competition. The event, which will attract the best karatekas from the rest of the country, will also see the launch of a new website for the local union. Some of the prominent karatekas who will be fighting for medals are David Dube, Victor Bhunu and Zeph Chingono. The City Sports Centre has become a traditional venue for this event because of its capacity to hold two matches at any given time and its proximity to the central business district.
