Karate stars claim stellar results
From his sick bed to a gold medal, Paihia’s Kingiteahuahu Tana has come away with a win at the Oceania Karate Championships.
He had picked up a virus the day before competition began on September 16 in New Caledonia.
It took four fights to be crowned the winner in the 11-year-old under 38kg category.
Sister Teuarangi took away the bronze medal in the junior female kumite (fighting) under 59kg category.
The siblings were training four days a week for the past three months at Whangarei’s Miyagi Kan in the lead up to the competition with Sensei Craig Nordstrand.
Nordstrand says the team performed well overall.
‘‘Kingi performed very well, he came out of his sick bed to fight and then went back to his sick bed afterwards.
‘‘It was heroic in a tough competition, it was fantastic. I always get a tear in my eye when I see them up there with the New Zealand flag.’’
Father Damian Tana says the family was really happy.
‘‘It makes all the training worthwhile, I am proud of both of them, it makes all of the sacrifices worth it.’’
Close to $6000 was raised for the Tana siblings’ trip from local sponsorship.
Damian says the kids were asked to try their best and they definitely did.
‘‘It was a long way to go and we didn’t want to come back with nothing.’’
The children will speak about their experience to their supporters at the Kerikeri, Kawakawa Moerewa, and Waitangi Lions clubs.
Miyagi Kan also had four Whangarei based members representing New Zealand in New Caledonia.
D’Artagan Gould won gold in the under 55kg section for 12-13 year-old boys and first in team kumite for 12-13 year-old boys.
Imogean Ear took gold in the 12-13 year-old team fighting.
A silver medal was won by Cameron Sear in the cadet under 52kg category.
Shane Tregidga came away with silver in the under 84kg senior men, third in the senior men’s open and second in the senior men’s team kumite.
The New Zealand team with 87 members drew with Australia in the gold medal tally with a total of 31 each.