TAEKWONDO RULES IN ASHIHARA CHAMPS

MBABANE – It was a tournament open to all styles and Taekwondo stole the show.

That was on Saturday, when Eswatini Ashihara Karate Association staged their 1st Shihan Mathokoza’s Memorial Tournament, 14th Eswatini Ashihara Karate Open Championships 2019.
The tournament was held at Enjabulweni Primary School Hall, starting from 9am with an impressive attendance. Sensei Abdul Khaaliq Dlamini said the standard of martial arts in the country had greatly improved, for they had no major injuries except for minor contact bruises.

Sensei

“Eswatini Taekwondo and Nhlambeni High School dominated the Sabaki/Full-Contact division. The Eswatini Ashihara Karate National Team athletes Safiya Mansoor and Cameron-Thomas Jele displayed an outstanding performance in their respective divisions, as they prepared for the upcoming international championships in Citrusdal, Cape Town, South Africa,” said the sensei. According to Dlamini, it was unity, fun, joy and tears as Eswatini Ashihara Karate, Eswatini Taekwondo and Eswatini JKA battled for podium positions at the 1st Mathokoza’s Memorial Tournament 2019 and 14th Eswatini Ashihara Karate Open Championships and Sabaki Challenge 2019. “Over 150 students from all corners of the county embraced the event with great courage and determination. We as Eswatini Ashihara Karate Association would like to thank all those that made the event possible,” he said.

The karatekas disclosed that the youngest at the tournament was four years of age, and they had the privilege of watching Master Sizwe Mabuza from Taekwondo New Generation pioneer compete in ‘poomse’. “Much thanks and appreciation from the styles that supported us, the private students and most importantly our parents as we were remembering a pioneer of karate in the Kingdom of Eswatini, the late Shihan Mathokoza Dlamini,” he said. Dlamini said a plan for the next international tournament was already under way and thanked their sponsors.

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