Kenya finishes fifth in the Central England Karate Championships

Kenya Police Karate team celebrates after winning in the Kumite category during the National Inter-County Karate championships held at Masinde Muliro University. [MUMO MUNUVE, Standard]

Kenya finished fifth in the eighth edition of the Central England Karate Championships hosted in Worcester in the United Kingdom over the weekend.

Kenya reaped one silver and four bronze medals in the three-day competition won by the United Kingdom.

During the tournament, Abubakar Otieno of Nakuru and Georgina Kanini of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) won different medals to emerge as Kenya's best karatekas after an effective performance in the kata and kumite categories of the championships.

Otieno won a silver medal in the men's kata before scooping another bronze medal in the men's kumite under 75kg category while Kanini snatched away a bronze medal in the female's under 55kg kumite category in a tournament that has given the Kenyan team international exposure after missing pout in the Commonwealth Karate Championships in Birmingham, England in September 2022.

Also to win a medal was Christopher Wambua who won a bronze medal in the under 84kg kumite category.

The team's performance lifted the spirits of the Kenya Karate Federation President Enos Muguku who said they are headed in the right direction.

"Our performance in the tournament has given us exposure to a number of new talents and it has given us a clue of what to expect whenever we feature in different tournaments all around the globe," he told Standard Sports upon their arrival from United Kingdom yesterday.

Kenya sent six athletes (three men and three female players) and two coaches.

They were Otieno (Abubakar), Wambua (Christopher) and John Kyalo while the ladies' side included Georgina Kanini, Esther Katunge and Rachael Munanie.

A total of 15 countries drawn from Europe and Africa featured in the tournament that saw Egypt emerge as the top African country followed by Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya and Cameroon. Abubakar

NEDALISTS.

Abubakar Otieno of Nakuru - silver medal in the men's kata and bronze medal in kumite under 75kg category.

Georgina Kanini of NSSF - bronze medal in female's under 55kg kumite category.

Christopher Wambua - bronze medal in the under men's 84kg kumite category.