The President of the Ghana Karate-Do Federation, Nathaniel Johnson, is confident that the karate-do team would shine and make Ghana proud at the upcoming 13th African Games.
This followed the news of the arrival of equipment for the competition imported by the government for the Games.
The equipment includes Tatami mat, athletes’ gi (karate attires) for the Kumite and Kata, shoes, bags and LED screens for the Games venue, among other items.
Mr Johnson told the Times Sports over the weekend that the arrival of the equipment signals the federation’s readiness for the competition, having been in doubt over the arrival of the equipment.
“This is good news not only for the Ghanaian Karatekas but for the competition itself as members of the African Karate Federation (AKF) and the World Karate Federation (WKF) were concerned just like us here”, Mr Johnson indicated.
Mr Johnson also thanked the Ministry of Youth and Sports for facilitating the arrival and release of the equipment for the Games.
Karate was ditched by organisers of the African Games, however, officials of the Ghana Karate-Do Federation (GKF) and the African Karate Federation (AFK) made a case for a slot which was accepted, and the sport was reinstated for the 13th edition of the multi-sport competition.
Mr Johnson also believes that the karate competition was one of the favourites to earn Ghana medals.
“Before the team went into camping for the Games, they had a national championship after which the Federation organised a randori session, where athletes had a go at each other to know the best in each weight category.”
He said the federation boasts of gold medal prospects in the team, especially in Edmund Asante Amoako, who has won a lot of gold medals on the African continent.
He also mentioned the likes of Dickson Acolatse, Germain Vowotor and Humu Zaba Yusif, a female player as medal prospects.
The Secretary General of the federation, Prince Adjavon, in a chat confirmed the arrival of Tatami mats from the World Karate Federation of which the Ministrywas working tirelessly to get it cleared for the competition.
The Karate competition will start today to March 9 at the Ga Mashie Hall of the Trust Sports Emporium (TSE) at Bukom in Accra
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
