Shotokan team dominates Nat’l Open Karate

THE SHOTOKAN Karate Society Cebu put up a scintillating performance in the National Invitational Open Karate Championships yesterday at the J Center Mall in A.S. Fortuna Street, Mandaue City.

The SKS team bagged 11 gold medals in the first day of competition. It won seven in the juniors kata category and four in the juniors kumite competition.

Around 500 Karatekas swarmed the venue to take part in this Union of the Philippine Karatedo Organization Inc.-sanctioned tournament.

Juniors competition was set to finish late last night but some of the matches were still being played as of press time. Seniors action starts today.

Vince Harvey Cabrera lead SKS with a gold in the category A+ kata competition. Steven Louis Cardente added another gold in the 13-16 years old category.

Reige Rama Fernandez topped the novice division of the 10 to 12 years old kata while Greg Christian Cabrera added two golds in the intermediate division and 9-10 age group.

Denzyl Amora,  Lance Jodiel Teopiz and Rowena Katheryn Barredo completed the seven-gold medal haul in the junior kata competition.

SKS’s four gold medalists in the action-packed kumite competition were Teopiz and  Barredo (7 years old below) and Greg Cabrera and Jessan Avila (9-10 years old below).

Meanwhile, the Association of Shotokan Karatedo (ASK) Cebu, who dominated the Smart Karate Kids 2010 held here in Cebu, harvested a combined six gold medals in the kata and kumite competition.

Winners for ASK Cebu were Natasha Miles Pelliren, Rome Florenz Metante, Danice Doreen Metante, Reiner Cruz, Cody Magtagad and Marjorie Villareal.

Meanwhile,  organizers said  Cebu will soon be having monthly tournaments after the Union of the Philippine Karatedo Organization Inc. vowed to help promote the sport in the hopes of finding future champions in karatedo.  /CORRESPONDENT DALE G. ROSAL