Karate team excels in USSA tournament

By Loveness Hulwane

The Vanderbijlpark Campus of the North-West University (NWU) recently hosted the national University Sports South Africa (USSA) Karate Tournament at the Tsebonokeng Hall.

The competition consisted of Clicker, Kata and Kumite (fighting) categories and the NWU team finished in sixth place in terms of overall team performance out of the twelve participating universities.

Individual performances included Thomas Tsokolibane who showed his exceptional skills and took first place in Kata, Lungani Shasha who topped the rankings by taking first place in the Men’s 55kg Kumite, and Thando Memberi who fought valiantly to take second place in the Women’s Kumite.

Angie Phakathi also excelled by taking a shared third place in the 55kg Kumite category, and Matlatsi Pheneus also took a shared third place in the men’s kata category.

According to the NWU team, the results of the competition highlight their strong performances in both the semi-contact and full-contact categories.

Karate Manager Joseph Mentor Matlhong says the event not only showcased the exceptional skills of their karate club members, but also reinforced NWU’s commitment to excellence in sports and student development. “These achievements are a testament to the hard work and dedication of the students and everyone involved.”

He adds that the karate club offers many benefits to students, staff and the community, including physical fitness, self-discipline, self-defense skills and stress reduction.

“In addition, participating in competitions offers additional benefits, such as competitive experience, recognition and networking opportunities. Since students from all NWU campuses participate, it also strengthens our university representation and fosters a sense of pride and unity among participants,” he adds.

Ready, ready…karate!