Labuan Karatekas Flies Malaysian Flag In 21st USKU International Karate C’ship 2019

LABUAN, Oct 21 (Bernama) -- Labuan karatekas made Malaysia proud by clinching gold, silver and bronze medals in the 21st USKU International Karate Championship 2019, the first Labuan’s victory since 2015. The five-day international event from Oct 17-21 at Takanabe-Cho, Miyazaki, Japan was participated by 800 karatekas from Japan, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Bangladesh and Malaysia. The Labuan, Malaysia’s sole gold medal was won by the SM St Anthony Labuan Form Three student Muhammad Aiqal Asmadie against Japanese karatekas. Aiqal has shown outstanding performance in the Junior High School Male Individual Kata after defeating all five Japan exponents. Labuan Karate Association chief coach Shihan Aswadee Taba said this was the first time Labuan, Malaysia ended their international karate championship (USKU International) campaign in Japan, with a podium finish of winning the gold after its entries in 2016 and 2017. Another promising Labuan karateka Nur Aneesa Aira Mohamad Affendi, a Primary Five student in SK Pekan Dua won the silver in a stiff competition in the 10-11 Years Old Girls Individual Kata against her Japan exponent. Nur Aneesa’s elder brother Mohamad Azib Aiman Mohamad Affendi, a Form Four student of SM Sains Labuan and Syarulniza Abdul Jamil bagged the bronze in the High School Male Individu Kata and Senior Female Kumite Open respectively. Syarulniza was also the Labuan contingent chef de mission. --BERNAMA