Ongwediva
Karatekas Zaid Ely and Katelin Martin were crowned the overall male and female winners at the National Karate Championship that took place at the Ongwediva Trade Fair Centre on Saturday.
In a well-attended event that attracted more than 182 young and old karatekas, Zaid Ely emerged as the overall winner in the men’s category and was officially crowned the new national karate champion.
“I feel very ecstatic. It’s my first time to become a national champion after 24 years of hard work and commitment. I started karate when I was just 3, so it is surely a big day for me and the entire karate family in Namibia”, said a jovial Ely.
Winner of the women’s category Katelin Martin was crowned the new karate national champion in the female category that boasted fierce competition, but her experience from the recent All African Games proved enough to carry her through to victory.
According to Shihan Freddy Mwiya, head of Ongwediva Karate Zen, it was the first championship to take place in the northern part of the country since Independence in 1990. “I would really like to applaud the main federation for awarding us the rights to host the championship, especially at a time where interest in would-be karatekas is growing rapidly,” he said.