As days draw near to the World University Championship for Karate, The Makerere University Guju Kai Karate Dojo (MGKKD) has revealed the participants that are going to delegate at the tournament.
While speaking to Campus Bee, Ronald Mwanje, the coach at the Dojo/Gym located in the MAK swimming pool basement revealed Daniel Mutembesa and Joyce Backo as the participants.
The 25-year-old Daniel Mutembessa is a Tutor and assistant lecturer at the Faculty of Computing while Joyce Bako is a fresh graduate from Ndejje University.
Daniel is a masters graduate in Computer Science and a research assistant in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He is in his last phase of research in Oracle and Data base management working under Dr. Earnest Tumwebaze as his sponsor .The multi talented Daniel is also a poet and the head of Operations at Milege Organisation.
Back to karate, Daniel has trained for six years and is the National champion in the Uganda Karate Association.
Team Uganda’s first attempt to join the tournament proved fruitless in 1995 due to lack of resources and enough support from the Ministry of Education and sports. The same opportunities knocked on the door from Mumbai, France and Germany but still the afore mentioned issue kept its position as a blockade.
For the first time that Uganda is representing , the contestants are so glad of the support they are receiving from MAK.
A team of 4 people that includes 2 participants(a male and female), one official and the coach will fly to Bragal Portugal to take part in the 2day tournament between 10th and 13th August 2016. This is contrary to other teams that will represent with 7members for males and 5 for females. The team however wishes they had a larger team but the resources can’t allow.
The coach says they expect to be surprised and are ready to learn lessons being their first time.
“My team is ready, we want to go and know what exactly is out there. It will give our participants an opportunity to learn”
The coach added
The participants are to take part in Team Kumite and Team kata for both sexes, Individual Kumite and individual kata for both sexes. These are also categorized according to weight and all sessions last up to 5 minutes.
The winners from the tournament are to be awarded with Silver, Gold, Bronze and Double Bronze medals. The participants said they are ready to do it for the Nation.
FACTS:
Karate is a sport. While playing it, they fight to show control but not to hurt.
Karate is a way of life. You don’t retire from it because it penetrates into the way you live , think and do things on a daily basis.
Off to stretch some legs too…..Karate Monday??
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