Karatekas for Indionesia

TWO top Zimbabwe karatekas will take part in World Karate tournament in Indonesia.

The duo of sensei Stanley Chapunza and sempai Tinashe Chingwaro will represent the country at the prestigious tournament which will run from today until Saturday.

Chapunza will be taking part in the tournament of this magnitude for the second time after he also participated in 2015 when it was staged in Germany where he was stopped in the round of 16.

The Cape Town-based Chapunza expressed confidence before their departure.

“We are happy that we are managing to send two karatekas for this year’s World Karate tournament in Indonesia which begins on Thursday.

“Currently, I am a third dan and it’s the first time for my colleague Chingwaro to take part in this kind of championship but I believe with the training we received ahead of the championship we will do well,” said Chapunza.

The team represents IKO kyokushinkai-kan Union and with their branch Dojo and they had an opportunity to train under one of the most experienced local instructors, Sensei Innocent Hlupo. Chapunza believes they will do well. “We have many challenges, especially financial, as it is very difficult to find a sponsor but with the help of some well-wishers we manage to send two fighters.

“In terms of preparations, we have tried our best to prepare with Sempai Chingwaro coming to Cape Town we had good preps with our master and mentor Shihan Bas Van Stenis, the father of Karate in Southern Africa,” said Chapunza.