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Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall was the venue on the weekend of 10th & 11th of July for the most prestigious and high quality event in the British Karate Calendar; The British International Open.
As well as squads from around Britain, the spectators were treated to some World-Class Karate from some excellent overseas champions. Particularly impressive were the awesome Egyptian National team who dominated most events they entered. The Australian and Dutch National squads also caught the eye.
Saturday’s events featured teenagers of 14 years and above and all the adult events.
Leah Copeland; competing in the under 16 Girls Kata event got Vale Karate off to a good start earning an excellent bronze medal.
Andrew Kanias, although busy with his evening classes and his thriving after-school classes all over Cardiff and the Vale, has maintained his own standard to such a degree that he progressed to the final of the ‘Veterans Kata’ event where he took the gold medal and his first British title.
Three of Vale Karate’s Welsh International’s were then in action.
At 15, Luke Davies has been extremely busy with his school-work recently and his comparative lack of training took its toll. Nevertheless he earned a bronze medal in the U16 -63Kg category.
Elliot Evans and Rhys Davies, both 17, looked impressive in reaching the finals of the U18 -55Kg and +76Kg categories respectively.
Elliot showed brilliant defence, not being scored on throughout his campaign.
However after a no-score draw and an extension match in the final, the judges decision went to his Australian opponent to leave Elliot with a silver medal.
Rhys Davies once again proved himself Britain’s number one in his age and weight category winning the gold medal.
Sunday’s Children’s events started disappointingly with none of Vale Karate’s Kata champions managing to reach the rostrum.
The Kumite events on the other hand proved much more successful.
Ewan Albright, at only eight, The Vale squad’s latest recruit was in scintillating form in the Under 10 Boys event and progressed impressively to the final. There however, his nine-year-old opponent was a little too strong and experienced, and so Ewan settled for a well-deserved silver.
Both Nick Sherrin and Chloe Fry were unlucky not to progress past their Semi-Finals, each earning bronze medals.
As has often been the case recently, Demi White was Vale Karate’s final squad member in action. At 46Kg, she was among the smallest in the +45kg event, nevertheless using her movement and superb timing to good effect, beating some much bigger girls on her way to the British title. |
