Sabah Sukma karatekas shine
Sabahs Malaysia Games (Sukma) karate squad returned with an impressive haul of medals from the recent 5th Dekan Cup Karate Open Championship in Jawa Tengah, Indonesia
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s Malaysia Games (Sukma) karate squad returned with an impressive haul of medals from the recent 5th Dekan Cup Karate Open Championship in Jawa Tengah, Indonesia.
The state karatekas bagged three golds, one silver and one bronzein a tournament that also featured international exponents at the Unsoed Purwokerto Auditorium.
Vallenda Augustine won the gold from the Individual Kata event while the others were from Kumite athlete Audrey Jaypus and Yunesh Vickneswaran.
Arif Alfian contributed the only silver from the individual Kumite event while the bronze was from the Boys’ Team Kumite.
Sabah Karate Association (SKA) secretary general Julian Chin hailed the performance but, at the same time,was quick to advise the state athletes not to be carried away by the achievement.
“I think we are on the right track but we still have a lot of work to do especially in terms offitness level, techniques, mental strength and most importantly, commitment.
“We are still a work in progress,” Julian texted yesterday.
The championship was part of the state squad preparation to face Sukma 2016 which Sarawak will host in July.
Julian hoped that the exposure and experience from the competition would greatly help the karatekasin their pursuit of the desired results in Sukma.
Sabah other squad members for the overseas tournament which ended Sunday were Zimito Junior, Elreno Zeru, Shaweena Zulkif li, Kellyment Kahan, Maychelle Roger Mobil and Gwendollyn Gimus.
The accompanying officials were Sabah’s former national athletes-turned coaches Danny Fredoline and Ricky Leong.
Towards this end, Julian on behalf ofSKA thanked the Youth and Sports Ministry and Sabah Sports Council for sending the team to the Dekan Cup.