A TWELVE-member team from the Japan Karate Association/World Federation Guyana (JKA/WFG) will be leaving these shores to represent and promote Guyana, with their participation in the JKA/WF America-Pan American Karate Training Camp and Championships which will be held in Panama City, Panama. This camp will entail training sessions on the essentials of this art form for five hours daily beginning today and concluding on the final day of the tournament, Sunday June 6. 
Additionally, the national team will be exposed to a judges’ clinic that will assist in understanding the judging criteria and to compete with those facets in mind.
This international event will see other members from the Americas including Canada, USA, Mexico and the largest contingent, from the host country Panama taking part.
The JKA/WFG is a member of the Japan Karate Association and this organisation (JKA) promotes and preserves authentic Japanese karate throughout the world.
The team will be led by local chief instructor Sensei Christopher Chaves and Sensei Marvin Singh with support from team manager Marlon George who is also a competitor, chaperone Stephanie Kerry and senior black belt karateka Sensei Jennifer Cyrus (3rd Dan).
The 12-member team consists of three adults, (one female, two males), five children between the ages of 8 to 15 years (all males) and four officials. 
Members of the team were selected based on their performance at the 2009 National tournament held last August and will compete in divisions based on their rank and age.
The team has been training double time with their Sensei over the past three months to date and is very optimistic of success.
The trip will also allow our karatekas to experience what competing at the international level is all about and will go a long way in their development of this art form here in Guyana.
Thus far, sponsorship was secured from the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport, Nigel’s Supermarket, Digicel, Naipaul Singh & Sons Trucking Service, Hand in Hand, Techno Mill Inc., Kanhai’s Electrical, Citizens Bank and other corporate entities, to realise their financial requirements.
An update on the team’s performance has been promised by the management committee along with photos.