High Hope For Karate Development

Karate is a relatively unpopular sport in The Gambia but if what unfolded at the Kanifing Youth Center recently is any guide, then there is a hope for the future.

A recent earth-shaking and scintillating showpiece in the Shotokan Karate-Do International (SKS) club championship has served as a vital platform for all the domestic clubs affiliated to SKI to Show-case their SKI techniques to a packed hall of Karate faithful.

Organised by the SKI-Gambia Chapter, the championship drew over ten SKI-affiliated clubs to compete in various categories: cadet, black belt, Write and yellow and Green and blue.

“ The championship involve both Kata (demonstration) and Kumite (fighting),” Yerro Njie of SKI-Gambia told Pointsport. Mr. Muhammed Kabba, President of the Gambia Branch of SKI, was a delighted man when Pointsport caught up with him in the heat of the competition.

“I am very delighted to see that Karate is now gaining growth in popularity in the country. It’s increasingly becoming popular to both males and females; a gain we would endeavour to consolidate,” he started.

But according to Mr. Kabba, not all is rosy. “ We are grappling with many constraints such as finance for international competitions, We some times miss out key international competitions due to lack of finance and other logistical challenges, “ Mr. Kabba told Pointsport. He therefore appealed to individuals, general public, parastatals and government to give his Association a supporting hands.

“We would love to represent Gambia in international competitions. We were once in a championship in Dakar and were able to come home with four medals. Am also happy to tell you that we were also able to bag 12 medals in an international competition. So if supported, we can give more glory to The Gambia, “ he concluded.