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More World Champions for Karate Wales at the 8th WUKF World Championships

More World Champions for Karate Wales at the 8th WUKF World Championships

Karate Wales recently sent a squad of 38 athletes, along with coaches and referees, to compete in the 8th WUKF World Championships held in Bratislava, Slovakia. The tournament was held from the 20th to 23rd of June and also incorporated the 1st WUKF World Kobudo Championships. This made it one of the largest events that WUKF have hosted with roughly 2600 competitors taking part. With that many competitors it was a case of early starts and late nights. Despite this, and also battling brand new slippery mats, our squad stood up to the challenge and powered through to success.

Karate Wales entered in 71 categories at the tournament bringing home 17 medals, including 7 gold. Karate Wales proudly finished 14th in the medal table out of 83 countries, another fantastic achievement for our squad.

As always, a huge thanks goes to our team of coaches for their administration, support and advice during the championships. Karate Wales head coach David Godfrey, Tubbo, Hugh Gallagher, Andrew Tanaka Lewis and Barrie Rees made sure that no competitor was left on their own whilst on the mat and ran around the stadium more than the competitors! They were there first each morning and stayed until the last competitor finished each night, I’m sure all our athletes are grateful for all their efforts.

Our team of referees; Andrew Jones, Doru Grad and Tak Chan represented Karate Wales with distinction, again having early starts and long days. Well done all.

The Karate Wales equivalent of the Barmy Army, the travelling parents and supporters, maintained our ranking as the loudest team with their frequent renditions of Oggy! Oggy! Oggy!

So as another World Championships finishes, Karate Wales can reflect on some of our established athletes adding more World medals to their tally, cementing their place amongst the elite of WUKF athletes. Also, some new young talent coming into the spotlight which bodes well for the future. And several athletes competing at this level of competition for the first time who will take away some valuable experience.

Congratulations goes to the whole squad who I’m sure will have already turned their eyes towards the upcoming WUKF European Championships

in Denmark in October and we wish them all the best.

Full results:

Gold medallists:

Jacob DenhamWado kata 16-17 years

Sophia Poolekumite 7 years open weight 

Theo Poole kumite 10 years over 145cm

Morgan Harveykumite 14-15 years 65-75kg

Sasha Hugheskumite 14-15 years open weight

Lauren Gallagherkumite 18-20 years under 55kg

Gareth Rowekumite 51-60 years open weight

Silver medallists:

Owen Roekata all-styles brown-black belt 8 years

Lauren Gallagherkumite 18-20 years open weight

Connor Wills/Jac Tucker/Theo Poole kumite team boys under 11 years

Bronze medallists:

Corey Joneskata all-styles green-purple belt under 7 years

Poppy Vaughankumite 7 years open weight

Maddison Loveridgekumite 13 years over 60kg

Ffion Davieskumite 14-15 years open weight

Callum Lewiskumite 16-17 years 55-65 kg

Jacob Denhamkumite 16-17 years open weight

Cain Franciskumite senior men open weight

Open Championships 2019

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THE 10th WUKF EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: A MILESTONE FOR KARATE WALES!

THE 10th WUKF EUROPEAN  CHAMPIONSHIPS: 
A MILESTONE FOR KARATE WALES!

Karate Wales can reflect on the 10th WUKF European Championships For All Ages, held in Malta from 24-27th October as a milestone.

From humble beginnings, being one of WUKF’s smaller federations with only a few top level competitors at their WUKF debut in 2012 to establishing Karate Wales, in Malta, as being among WUKF’s strongest nations, with a squad full of winners!

Finishing the Championships ranked eighth of fifty-five federations present and with a squad of forty-nine athletes, six coaches and our Chief Referee, amongst the almost two thousand total entries, Karate Wales earned their best ever tally of ten gold, four silver and eight bronze medals, which could have been an even more impressive tally, as there were many Welsh Karate athletes who shone, but were unable to clear the final hurdle to reach the podium.

Welsh Highlights were liberally sprinkled throughout the four days of competition from the smallest and youngest children, Jakob Bartush & Talia Efstathiou of Vale Karate and Lily Rosser & Jac Tucker of Akaizen through the 13-14 year-old mini-cadets Tia Lewis & Molly Salter (Akaizen) Sasha Hughes (Wattstown) and Ffion Gallagher (WKU) and cadets (15-17 years) Lauren Gallagher and Ffion Davies (WKU) Alysha Lee & Grace McIntosh (Vale Karate) Jacob Denham & Morgan Harvey (WKA) and Callum Lewis (Akaizen) to the adult Juniors (18-20) Sam Cana and Brandon Harvey and of course the seniors, Cain Francis (Talbot) Steffan Rees (Wattstown) and veterans, Barrie Rees (Wattstown) and Kay Powell (Akaizen)

Four of Wales’ Kumite teams found the podium; the female mini-cadets (13-14 years) and the senior men took gold medals, the men beating the current WUKF World Champions, Slovakia, in a hugely exciting final.

Wales’ first win in this, probably the toughest, most exciting and hotly contested event.

The squad will look to next June’s WUKF World Championships in Slovakia and October’s EUKF European’s in Denmark with excitement and confidence.

The 9th WUKF European Championships

The 9th WUKF European Championships

While Wales was enjoying the best weather of the year so far, the small Karate Wales squad, which attended The 9th WUKF European Karate Championships in Cluj, Transylvania in Romania from Wednesday to Sunday, 5th to 9th April experienced rain and cold weather throughout the week.

The squad comprised only three athletes, Lauren Gallagher and Ryan Williams of the WKU and Vale Karate's Leah Copeland.

The trio were accompanied in Transylvania by Karate Wales' WUKF qualified referee's Andrew Jones and Doru Grad, coach Hugh Gallagher and Coach and Karate Wales President Rob Copeland.

As well as Wales and the hosts, Romania, there were also squads from Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,  Ireland, Italy, Malta, N.Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Ukraine.

As at all WUKF events, the standard overall was very good, excellent at the top end, and numbers were high, but thankfully, as the Championships were spread over four days very late finishes were avoided, and as there were no children in the squad,

This was a Championships for all ages;
Children (12 years & below)
Mini-Cadets (13-14 years)
Cadets (15-17 years)
Juniors (18-20 years)
Seniors (21-35 years)
Veterans (35+)
All categories are further divided, either by grade  in children's Kata or weight in all Kumite categories except veterans, however the veterans also have different age groups, 35-40, 41-45 etc.

Veterans events, Seniors  and cadets Open Style Kata and Openweight Kumite took place on the Thursday, Seniors and cadets 'style' Kata and weighted Kumite events on Friday, all children's events and mini-cadets on Saturday and the finals of the senior events on Sunday.

Ryan was competing in Men's Open weight and Men's -75Kg Kumite, Leah in Ladies Open and Shotokan Kata and Ladies -60Kg Kumite and Lauren in Female Cadet Shotokan Kata, Female Cadet Kumite -50Kg and Female Cadet Open Kumite.

On Thursday Leah took part in Ladies Open Kata and Lauren was active in both her Kata and Kumite disciplines.  Unfortunately, despite good performances, neither could progress to the finals.

In the Men's Open Weight Kumite category, Ryan won his first two fights, beating good opponents, using his reverse punch to great effect.

In the last eight, he lost to an excellent Italian to end his medal hopes, however optimism was high for an equally impressive showing in his weight category the following day.

Friday was a good day for Karate Wales!

 In the Men's -75Kg Kumite Ryan repeated the form of Thursday and fought at his absolute best and went all the way to the semi finals to secure a precious Bronze medal.  His opponent there, the Englishman Luke Cuthbert was too fluid and experienced, and featured in Sunday's final.  However Ryan can be proud of his bronze.  A great achievement.

Both Lauren and Leah took part in their styles Kata and improved on their scores of Thursday with both narrowly missing places in the final.

It was the Kumite where they shone.

Lauren was in great form in the Female Cadets -50Kg category, beating the reigning World Champion in the second round, scoring with several great kicks in her fights to secure a place in the last four.  Leading 2-0 early in the fight, a tough fight ensued with Lauren losing a very close match to take the bronze medal.

Leah was drawn against one of WUKF's dominant figures, Romania's Magdalena Tier in the semi final and gave one of her best ever performances, matching the Romanian in every department.  A great kick from Leah had the spectators cheering, however it was not scored and at the bell, Magdalena had taken a 5-3 win. Magdalena went on to win in the final 6-3.

Three Bronze medals from three athletes has to be seen as a very good result for Wales with all three showing improvements on previous major events.

The next major International event, the IKU World Championships take place in Kilkenny, Ireland in October this year and we hope to attend with a very much bigger squad!

Next years WUKF World Championships also take place much closer to home, in Dundee in June 2018.