11th ISKF Pan American Karate C’ships  
… Gibson grabs elusive gold
FOLLOWING their mixed fortunes experienced on the first day, Team Guyana rebounded to dominate the final day of the 11th International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF) Pan American karate championships which concluded at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) last Sunday night. The host team rode on the back of Natalie Gibson’s gold medal, won in the adult women’s kumite competition, in which she was her country’s lone competitor. She defeated Canadian Crystal Schultz.
The 31-year-old Gibson, who is a third Dan black belt karateka, entered the competition with a knee injury that prevented her from competing in the kata segment of her category, but she put aside pain to steer her country to the top, in the process.
The home team got stunning performances especially from the junior martial artists who topped the podium in almost every event, as was predicted by Master Frank Woon-A-Tai, Guyana’s most decorated karateka and founder of the Guyana Karate College (GKC) who, along with the Government of Guyana, organised the tournament.
Eight-year-old Aliya Wong won the hearts of the audience and impressed the judges every time she stepped onto the floor to execute her kata or even participate in the kumite (sparring) in the Girls’ 8-9 age group, in which she carted off a double gold.
She also helped Guyana’s Girls’ 8- 9 team to the gold medal in the Team kata, while Mark Wong won the Boys’ 8-9 kata and kumite gold medals, as Guyana swept the opposition in that age group.
Compatriots Nathan Hackett and Tariq Dundas came second and third to Wong in the Boys’ 8-9 kata and kumite, and together they were a formidable force that piloted Guyana to gold in the Team kata display of the same age group.
Leah Sheriff captured gold in the Girls’ 10- 11 kata event and bronze in the kumite, while Tashana Wong took silver in the kumite of the Girls’ 10-11 age group. Alexander Cheeks carted off gold in the Boys’ kumite gold and a bronze in the kata in which Mikhail Broomes took the silver medal.
Cristina Dey won the Girls’ 12-13 kata ahead of Amber Lowe, while Sophie McKoy took home the gold in the kumite ahead of Dey and Lowe respectively.
Shane Rahaman carted off the gold in both the Boys’ 14-15 age group kata and kumite categories, as Team Guyana occupied all three spots on the podium for the Team kata in that category.
Samuel Ming triumphed in the Boys’ 16- 17 kata ahead of his two Barbadian competitors, who forced him to settle for the bronze medal in the kumite category.
Guyana also won the Boys’ 16-17 kata, while Kemo Cornelius placed second in the Boys’ 12-13 kumite and third in the kata.
Team Guyana won the Boys’ 12-13 age group kumite and placed second and third respectively in the kata event, while the 13-14 Girls did the same in their respective Team kata.
Simonica Fanfair placed second in the Girls’ 14-15 kumite, but slipped to bronze in the kata while Kristina Cheeks took the silver in the kata and bronze in the kumite.
In an invited comment, Woon-A-Tai described Guyana’s performance at the prestigious event as amazing.
“I said from the beginning that Guyana stand an excellent chance of coming out on top, as they have more entries especially in the younger age groups and they did just that, which is just great.”
Woon-A-Tai further stated, “ Guyana has consistently done well at the Caribbean and world cup levels in which they have a good track record and they have certainly lived up to it and I must say congratulations not only to the athletes, but to those senseis who worked hard in getting them ready for this tournament”.
But while the Guyanese were having a jubilant celebration, one karateka, namely Natalie Gibson was having her own jovial time going on inside of her, as she finally snatched the gold medal that has been eluding her for years.
Congrats to Team Guyana’s lone competitor in that division who managed to overcome the odds and capture the adult women’s Kumite title in dramatic fashion.