Two Medals in Halle-Leipzig for Canadian Karateka
Karate Canada – Halle-Leipzig, Germany, September 10th, 2017 – Over the weekend, Canadian National Team Roster members were in Halle-Leipzig for the German Open K-1 Championships, which were held from September 8th-10th. The Canadian delegation included 21 athletes, accompanied by three coaches, one support staff member and four officials. A total of over 1300 athletes from 87 countries competed in this event. This weekend event saw a number of spirited performances on the part of Canadian athletes, including three top-10 finishes.
In women’s kumite, Haya Jumaa, of Ontario, earned a silver medal in the -61kg division, winning her first six matches losing in the finals to Thi Ngoan Nguyen of Vietnam. Camélie Boisvenue, of Quebec, placed 5th in the +68kg category, winning her first four matches before losing to the bronze medallist Natsumi Kawamura of Japan.
In men’s kumite, Daniel Gaysinsky, of Ontario, won his first four matches in the +84kg division before losing to eventual silver medallist Jonathan Horne of Germany; Gaysinsky finished with a bronze medal, defeating Felipe Reis of France.
There were two notable Canadian performances in men’s kata: Kenneth Lee, of British Colombia, won his first three matches before losing to Spanish opponent Sergio Galan Lopez, while Toshihide Uchiage, also of British Columbia, won his first three matches before losing to Chinese opponent Cheung Yu Ho.
The German Open is an important preparation event on the road to the next summer Olympic Games, taking place in Tokyo 2020.
About Karate Canada:
Karate Canada is a not-for-profit corporation constituted under Part II of the Canada Corporations Act, with the objective of describing and incorporating all activities related to the promotion, organization, regulation and popularization of the sport of karate all over Canada, of protecting the physical and emotional health of athletes, and of promoting the interests of karate throughout Canada. Karate Canada and its 10 member Provincial and Territorial Associations assemble roughly 16,000 participants nationwide. Furthermore, Karate Canada is a proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, the World Karate Federation and the Pan American Karate Federation. See more at www.karatecanada.org.