REPORTS coming out of Canada on Friday said the Guyana National Karate team now taking part in the ISKF World Shoto Cup tournament is doing well.

At the end of the elimination rounds on Friday, the juniors held their own and qualified for eight finals which will take place tomorrow.

The top four in Kata and Kumite in each age group will contest the finals. In the girls 8-9, Leah Shariff qualified for both finals, in the girls 10-11 Kata, Christy Dey, Kemo Cornelius have qualified for both Kata and Kumite in the boys 10-11 while his teammate, Kevin Yong-Kwong-Poi is there for Kata.

Kristina Cheeks is there for 12-13 girls Kumite, and Chontelle Sewett is there for the girls 14-15 Kumite.

The older boys did not fare as well in their respective groups. In the boys 14-15 Kata, Trent Piaralall lost in the first round while Samuel Ming, Avian Rodrigues, Eric Hing and Badrie Persaud lost in the second round.

In the Kumite, Badrie Persaud, Eric Hing and Trent Piaralall lost in the second round while Avian Rodrigues was disqualified for willful contact.

Rodrigues competed with an injured right shoulder which may have been his downfall. He would have clearly scored and won had he not connected with the right punch to the face.

Samuel Ming then lost in the third round. Phillip Romalho made it to the quarter finals of the 16-17 boys’ Kata where he was elimated by the points system when he finished sixth overall.

He was also doing well in the Kumite but was stopped from continuing his quarter-final bout after he was hit and injured on his nose.

These last two boys’ groups were highly subscribed and contested with some seasoned campaigners going through.

Yesterday, Guyana fielded two girls’ and two boys teams for the team Kata competition while the four adult participants David Hardy, Troy Parboo, Nathalie Gibson and Krysten do their individual elimination matches today.

Four Guyanese men living in Canada have joined the group and will also take part in the individuals as well as team up with Hardy and Parboo for teams Kata and Kumite yesterday.