Ongwediva
Interest in karate is growing rapidly in the north.
Karate has doubtlessly captured the imagination of many with people joining the sport thick and fast – ranging from pre-school kids to adults, including professionals.
The popular Karate Zen Academy in Ongwediva, under the stewardship of shihan Freddy Mwiya, schools many aspiring karatekas, including 27 beginners.
According to Mwiya there is a tremendous interest among young people, under the encouragement of their parents, to learn the finer points of karate.
He says young athletes are further taught to develop basic sporting skills, such as coordination, concentration, self-discipline and self-defence.
“The majority of these youngsters boast one or two competitions under their belt and we are working hard to prepare them for the national championships, slated for August 27.”
Mwiya, who is also the national coach of Karate Namibia, expresses his gratitude to parents for introducing their kids to karate.
“It helps quite a lot to keep the youth away from the evils of society by engaging them in constructive activities in an effort to contribute to their personal growth,” he adds.
Elzaan Liebenberg, a parent, likewise expresses her gratitude: “This is a very good environment for our children to learn the sport of karate, which teaches our children to develop holistically. It teaches them many skills that they can apply later in their lives – for example, how to cope with success and failure.”