Zarina puts her fists up
Karateka, Zarina Khan added a school sport trophy to her cabinet this week.
Newcastle High School matriculant, Zarina Khan added the ‘Sportswoman of the Year – Out-of-school sport’ to her already impressive trophy cabinet this past week. On top of that, she has now earned full provincial colours for karate.
Zarina admitted her nomination served more as inspiration, stating she did not practise karate for the glory or the awards. Earlier this year, Zarina was awarded a silver medal in kata at the South African Traditional Council’s All Styles National Championships, after being selected for the Traditional Karate KZN Team.
Crowning her accolades, Zarina received her Shodan ranking (black belt – first Dan), an accomplishment she describes as ‘stressful but very fun’. She believes a combination of hard work, determination and pushing oneself is the recipe for success, explaining there were days when her muscles ached from executing the routines.
She thanked Sensei Frik, Sensei Girard Oberholzer and Sensei Alisha Ramsaroop for strength and motivation. Asked what comes next, Zarina said she is preparing for national representation next year as well as her second Dan grading in about two years’ time.
