One Montrealer won two medals for Canada and three others ranked at a world karate competition in Australia last week.
Sensei Chanh Chau-Tran, who runs the Club d’élite de karaté shotokan traditionnel Mtl-Concordia at Claude Robillard, won the men’s masters individual katas among men aged 65 to 69. He also tied for third place in the masters team kata for men aged 40 years or more.
Sensei Michel Hurtubise and students Daniel Chalifour and Robert Racine, from the Karaté communautaire Shotokan Verdun dojo, came in 7th in the team kata for men aged 40 years and older.
They were among 1,000 competitors at the 11th Shotokan Karate-do International Federation (SKIF) World Championship in Sydney. The tournament began on Sunday, November 18 and ran for a week. Twelve Canadians were selected to represent Canada at tryouts last June.
Chau-Tran and students Hezem Chibani, Joseph Ta and Jacques Fandroana train at Claude Robillard. Hurtubise, Chalifour, Racine along with Céline Hénoque, Marie-Eve Roy and Jérémie Dufort train in Verdun: The Canadian team also included two Ontario karate students, Betty Brant and Megan Brant from Belleville.
The team relied on fundraising and sponsorships to fund the trip to Australia. The last fundraiser was a bowling night in Verdun on Saturday, November 10.
“After 15 years of practice, for me this is an accomplishment,” said Celine Hénoque, that evening. “I’ve done several competitions in France, but they were more regional. This will give us a chance to see where we are on the world stage. It’s a great opportunity.”
November 22, 2012
Canada’s Karate Team Going Down Under
Six people who train in Verdun, four people who train at the Claude Robillard Centre, and two people from Ontario are in Australia representing Canada at a world karate competition that began last weekend.
The Shotokan Karate-do International Federation (SKIF) World Championship got underway in Sydney last Sunday and will continue until Sunday, November 24. Try-outs for the team that represents Canada took place last June.
“After 15 years of practice, for me this is an accomplishment,” said Celine Hénoque, at the final Verdun bowling fundraiser for the event Saturday, November 10. “I’ve done several competitions in France, but they were more regional. This will give us a chance to see where we are on the world stage. It’s a great opportunity.”
The bowling fundraiser was the sixth such event in Verdun. The team was also supported by several sponsors, including Verdun Mayor Claude Trudel. The team garnered enough to send students Hénoque, Marie-Eve Roy, Jérémie Dufort, Daniel Chalifour, Robert Racine and Sensei Michel Hurtubise to Australia.
Also participating will be Sensei Chanh Chau Tran and students Hezem Chibani, Joseph Ta and Jacques Fandroana four students from the Club d’élite de karaté shotokan traditionnel Mtl-Concordia plus two Ontario karate students, Betty Brant and Megan Brant from Belleville.
Hurtibise and fellow sensei Richard Valiquette plus Chalifour, Dufort and Racine represented Canada during the 10th edition of the World Tournament in Greece in 2009. They formed part of a delegation that finished in 8th place overall. Hurtibise and Valiquette finished 4th in the Yakusoku Kumite competition, while student Dufort finished 8th in katas. Chalifour, Racine and Hurtubise also made it into the semi-finals in katas.
