Zim karatekas off to Japan
FORMER World champion Samson Muripo will lead a team of five Zimbabwean karatekas this weekend at the World So-Kyokushin All-Japan International Karate tournament in Shizuoka.
The tournament, regarded as one of the toughest competitions in the world, is slated for Saturday and Sunday.
Muripo is part of the team that is made up of some of the country’s top full contact fighters - Likhwa Khumalo, Admire Chingozhoro, Naison Chituwa and Tangayi Mhlanga.
The renowned karateka, who moved his training base to South Africa in 2016, was in the country recently and took the squad through some training sessions in Mutare to sharpen their techniques ahead of the tournament.
“We had a great experience in Mutare and it worked as a morale-booster for the trip to Japan. I think the event will be an exciting one’’ said Muripo.
Muripo, who returned to South Africa on Monday, met with the rest of the team yesterday in Johannesburg.
They are expected to arrive in Japan today. Zimbabwe Karate Union secretary-general, Steven Charandura, said they will have some time to acclimatise before they go into the battlefield and is positive they will do the nation proud.
“Firstly there was another tournament in Scotland where our female fighter Grace Chirumanzu participated in the ladies Open event and came out number three.
‘‘And we are riding on the wave of the success initiated by her. She represented us well, she did us very proud.
“So these guys have a chance of doing better and as Zimbabwe Karate Union we know when they are well prepared and fully trained they always bring some good results. So we don’t doubt them at all, this time again they will bring results.
“They arrive in Japan tomorrow (today) so they have two days for a break and also acclimatising with the environment and weather,” said Charandura.
Karate has over the years proved to be one of the sport codes in the country that has managed to produce results when local fighters compete at international level. Charandura said as the national karate mother body they would want to maintain the standards and added that they are already in the process of grooming some young fighters who they believe have the potential to match the current crop of fighters.
“It’s our worry to develop other fighters like these guys that will take over when they retire. The upcoming fighters, we had some of them in the Nepal tournament and another one in Iran.
‘‘We sent these guys there. So these guys we are preparing them for Japan in a few years to come. We are grooming people like of Pumulani Maphosa for the highest level like the Japan tournament. We don’t want to throw them into the deep end,’’ said Charandura.