Karatekas from Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago are confirmed to compete in the Guyana- South America Undiscovered- Martial Arts Championship on March 31 in Georgetown.
Roland Eudoxie, founder of Korean Martial Arts Guyana, is the lead coordinator. At the recent launch, he explained that 74 participants are confirmed from the twin-island republic, while Suriname will have 34 and Guyana 84. Six teams will be created.
Eudoxie further indicated that Bangladesh is also interested in the tournament’s sixth edition.
The organiser highlighted that there would be traditional (empty-hands and weapons kata), freestyle (empty-hands and weapons), points sparing and team (kata and points sparing) events.
To make the event more exciting, the organisers have separated the junior and senior team kata events, and there will also be a category for the differently-abled.
The aforementioned categories will be contested across the six-and-under age group, seven-to-nine, 10-12, 13-15, 17-19, 20-34 and 35-and-over age group. Within those age groups, people will compete based on skill level: novice, intermediate, advanced and black belts.
To improve the tournament to international standards, Eudoxie pointed out they are working to meet further criteria set by the global body for rating the freestyle events. At present, only the traditional events gather ratings.
“This is something we are working on because we are incorporating freestyle; we have not been able to manage that rating yet. We desire to have such as well since it is only the traditional that is being rated under the World Karate Federation rating,” the organiser explained.
He added, “It is our dream to develop art, which is not only seen as an extra-circular activity, but also an art of discipline that is thought of as an important life lesson.”
Admission will be G$1,000 per adult and general children tickets G$500, while children under five will be admitted free.
The Guyana Tourism Authority, National Sports Commission, Starbucks Guyana, Icon Equipment and Sales and Rentals Inc., Hand-in-Hand Mutual Fire and Life Insurance Companies, Team Mohamed’s, Guyana Beverages Inc., Gupta Group and Smalta are among the companies that have supported the event to date.
