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Durban North siblings reflect on triumph at Commonwealth Karate Championships

The bi-annual event was held in Durban in November last year where Jared and Jenna-Lee excelled.

SIBLINGS Jared (19) and Jenna-Lee Atkinson (13) showed their mettle at the 11th Commonwealth Karate Championships which were held in Durban in November last year.

The Durban North residents represented Karate South Africa at the event which attracted thousands of karatekas from Commonwealth countries around the world.

The bi-annual event was last hosted in 2022 in Birmingham in the UK.

At the championships, an All Styles karate competition, Jared won two bronze, two silver and one gold, while Jenna-Lee won a bronze and a silver medal in both Kata and Kumite.

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The duo are part of Shotokan Karate-do International South Africa (SKISA) and are trained by Renshi Brando Pillay and Hanshi Sonny Pillay, who is also president of Karate South Africa (KSA).

Speaking on his performances, Jared said he couldn’t have scripted it better.

“To be in front of a home crowd and to be cheered on by my family and friends was incredibly special. It was also a privilege seeing my sister win two medals. The Commonwealth Champs was split into two competitions, namely the club championships and the elite championships. I won gold in the individual Kumite (U75kg) which was an incredible feat. The atmosphere at the Olive Convention Centre was electric. I would also like to thank Renshi Brando Pillay and my other senseis for their support in the lead-up to and throughout the tournament,” he said.
Jared, a second year Bcom student at IIE Varsity College Durban North, is now gearing up for the Union of African Karate Federations (UFAK) Regions South Championship in March this year.

Jenna-Lee, who represented her country for the third time in the sport, will also compete in the World Karate Federation (WKF) Youth League tournament in Dubai in February.

The Our Lady of Fatima learner spoke to Northglen News about her triumph at the Commonwealth Karate Championships.

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“I won two medals, a bronze for Kumite (U13) and a silver for team Kata. While I didn’t place in individual Kata, I was lucky to have the opportunity to compete as a team where we battled India for the gold medal. I was really proud of my results and I feel I made my family proud. I was nervous, but determined going into the competition because it was my biggest to date. I had aimed to place in the top five, so to win two medals exceeded my expectations.

“One of my proudest moments was watching my brother win gold in Kumite. I think I was Jared’s biggest supporter, I was so proud of him. For the upcoming competition in Dubai, I will be moving up an age division. It will be a much tougher competition but I’m excited for the challenge ahead,” she said.

 

 

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Shiraz Habbib

Shiraz has been a community journalist for the last 12 years and has a specific interest in everything sports. He holds a Bachelor of Arts undergrad degree and honours degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal where he majored in Communications, Anthropology and English.

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