MALAYSIAN national karatekas reaped a golden harvest when they fought their way to three gold medals in the kata competition of the 18th Kobe Osaka International (KOI) World Cup at State Indoor Stadium here yesterday.
The gold medals were delivered by national champion Lim Lee Lee in her pet event - the girls senior individual kata (ages 16 and above) - Emmanuel Leong in the boys senior individual kata gojuryu and Tan Chee Shen in the men’s kata shitoryu.
The national team also won six silver and six bronze to catapult to the top of the medal table standings (as at 5pm).Following closely in second place were Hong Kong with two gold, three silver and one bronze while in third place were Jordan with two gold and one bronze. The silver medals for Malaysia were won by Shamala Rubini in the girls cadet individual kata (ages 14-15), Thoe Ai Poy (girls senior individual kata, ages 16 and above), Muhd Aqmal Asmadie (boys individual kata, ages 8-9), Lim Chee Wei (boys senior individual kata shotokan and boys individual kata shitoryu). The bronze medals came from Mohd Azuh Ansyuh Ag Hashim (boys senior individual kata shotokan and boys individual kata shitoryu), Leong Tze Wai (boys individual kata shitoryu), Siew Wen Jin, Syarulniza Abdul Jamil (girls cadet individual kata, ages 14-15) and Ummi Ahmad (girls individual kata, ages 12-13).
Lee Lee said she was happy to retain her title she won at last year’s KOI World Cup in Latina, Italy. “I’m looking to do my best in the Asian Karate Federation Championship in Guangzhou, China this September. “I’m not setting any target because it would not mean anything if you just set a target and do not achieve it,” she said, adding that she would focus on her training for the coming event. Since taking up the sport at the age of 13, Lee Lee has been constantly representing the country and has won many medals. In the recent Hong Kong Open Karate Championship, she won a gold medal each in the women’s individual kata and team kata.
She also won a gold and a silver in the last SEA Games at Korat, Thailand and a bronze at the KOI World Cup in Bulgaria in 2007.
Meanwhile, the Latvians also put up an excellent showing, winning two gold medals via Patricija Mierkaine in the girls individual kata (ages 10-11) and girls individual kata (ages 12-13).
The other double gold medallist yesterday was Richard Wong of Hong Kong who won the boys individual kata (ages 10-11) and boys individual kata (ages 12-13).
No comments:
Post a Comment