Notable performances for Eastern Cape karateka
| KARATE KID: Jordan Doyle was awarded bronze in kata and silver in kumite at the South African National Shotokan Association Championship held at the Uitenhage Indoor Sports Centre earlier this month Picture: SUPPLIED |
ROB KNOWLES
KARATEKA from Kowie and Albany did well at the South African National Shotokan Association (SANSA) inaugural Championship at the Uitenhage Indoor Sports Centre earlier this month.
The Championship attracted close to 300 participants including a combined team of 15 karateka from Rhodes University Shotokan Karate Club and East Cape Shotokan-Ryu (Grahamstown, Port Alfred, Kenton-on-Sea, Fort Beaufort, Adelaide and Yellowwoods School).
Jordan Doyle from Kowie was awarded bronze in kata (forms) and silver in kumite (fighting); Emerald Bouwer of Albany was awarded silver in kata and silver in kumite; Desmond Adams, also of Albany, was awarded silver in kata and gold in kumite; Nolan de Maar, again from Albany, was awarded gold in kata and Anthony Morton of Rhodes was awarded bronze in kata and gold in kumite. 
Notable performances included Morton's gold medal in the Men's Open Kumite. On his way to winning gold, Morton defeated a number of strong opponents, including Port Elizabeth's highly rated Nkululeko Apleni.
Morton is currently preparing for the Shito-ryu Karate-do Kofukan World Championships which take place in Portugal on March 31 and April 1.
De Maar gave a superb display of the Shotokan kata, Kanku-Sho, to win gold in his kata (forms) category. Jordan Doyle did well to win silver in a large and exceptionally competitive kumite category.