Botswana’s Hayashi-Ha Karate team returns home today (16th April) after featuring authoritatively in the United States Open Karate Championships in Las Vegas, over the Easter Holidays.
The team has for the second time in a row placed the country in the limelight by scooping Bronze, Gold and Silver medals.
“Out of an eleven person team, eight got the medals, and you can see that represents 72% achievement rate,” stated Jerry Ditlhong, Public Relations Officer of HayashiÔÇôHa Karate Union with a deep sense of excitement.
Another striking element in Hayashi’s victory is that it includes a “repetitive female winner” in the name of Pearl Ranna, aged 15, who comes home with Gold and Silver medals in Kata and Kumite respectively, the same awards she got in 2008.
This time around she shares her joy with another female colleague and age mate, Jerieigh Du Preez.
Ditlhong pointed out that considering his level, the youngest member of the team, Ahmed Ali” Hussein, at 5, made the team and us more proud when he scooped a Bronze medal. Other members of the group who completed Hayashi’s mission included Theo Siska (7), Nathan Banni (7), Muhamed “Ali” Hussein (8) and 13-year-old Khyle Bannister, who all got Gold and Silver Medals in Kata and Kumite, respectively.
Asheilan Naiker (15) sealed the victory by taking home the Silver and Bronze. This was the second time since last year that the team played in the US Open Karate Championships which takes place annually every Easter holidays.
“Hayashi is striving at all costs to heighten the standards in our training, so as to ensure that we outnumber other Karate teams in the national team the next time there are any international activities to partake in,” stated Ditlhong.
