Martin leads Goju-Kai to eleven medals at Global Champs

Namibia’s Goju-Kai team’s recent participation at the eighth International Karatedo Goju-Kai Association (IKGA) Global Championships saw the country win eleven medals, with veteran Leonard Martin securing the only gold.The event returned to its birthplace in Chiba, Japan, for its eighth edition, where it was first staged in 1993, following a break in its quadrennial hosting cycle in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.Namibia fielded 51 athletes across various divisions to compete against more than 3 000 karatekas from 34 countries, under the endorsement of the Namibia Karate Federation.Martin’s gold came in the men’s veteran kumite, to go with silver in the veteran kata division. Shaun Willemse added another silver in the men’s veteran kumite.Historic silver medalRoche Thomas made history by winning Namibia’s first silver medal in the senior women’s jiyu kumite and added a bronze in senior women’s kumite.Other silver medals came through Amelie Rothkegel in cadet girls’ kumite and debutant Jean Scholtz in boys’ U12 kumite.Bronze medalists were Menette Kaluhoni (senior women’s kumite), Ava Izaks (senior women’s kumite and senior kata) and Nathan Goliath (senior men’s kumite).As the team’s chief instructor, Martin was all smiles upon the team’s arrival on Friday, praising Namibia’s eighth-place overall finish.“Namibia’s athletes stood out and stood their ground well amongst the best in the world, going through multiple rounds before being knocked out,” he said.The country had a 79-member contingent in total, of which three officials – Burtie Woest, Nathan Goliath and Luke de Vries – officiated at the tournament.This year’s tally of eleven medals marks Namibia’s second-best performance at the championships, only behind the 2017 edition in Canada.Martin also teamed up with his son Brandon-Lee in the senior men’s team bunkai, placing fifth out of 18 countries, while Shaun Willemse and Bruno Lourenco also competed in bunkai.Brandon-Lee stood out as the only Namibian to participate in all seven events.Over three decades of accoladesMartin first competed at the inaugural IKGA Global Championships in 1993 at just 23, winning Namibia’s first bronze medal at the event.He has since gone on to win four gold medals over 24 years, the most ever by a Namibian at the championships.“I am quite chuffed with the achievement. I think I have rounded out my performance quite nicely over the years, so let’s see what will happen in the future,” he said.After missing the 1997 edition in Brazil, Martin returned in 2001 in Australia to win Namibia’s first gold medal at the event, along with a silver. Namibia also claimed another silver and two bronzes.His second gold followed in 2005 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, alongside a compatriot’s bronze.Though not a medalist in 2009, Martin was honoured with the Green Blazer Ultimate Warrior title for his contributions. In 2013, he coached Namibia to three bronze medals.Returning as a competitor in 2017 in Canada, he claimed gold and silver, while Namibia as a team produced three golds, two silvers and ten bronzes – the country’s best-ever performance at the global showpiece.– mariud@nsh.com.na

Martin leads Goju-Kai to eleven medals at Global Champs

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Martin leads Goju-Kai to eleven medals at Global Champs

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