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Karate kids' medal joy

Dave Lawrenson
22/11/2007

THREE Salford karate clubs are celebrating after exceeding all expectations at the Ken Yu Kai National Championships at Eccles FitCity.

The Langworthy Ken Yu Kai club won 19 medals while the Eccles Karate Club claimed 18.

And Broughton Ken Yu Kai karate club enjoyed 10 medal successes.

The Langworthy Ken Yu Kai club achieved their 19-medal haul despite only entering 14 karate students.

The pick of the bunch was 43-year-old Stephen Surtees, who won the senior men’s over-40s kumite (fighting) section to maintain the club’s record of winning at least one national gold medal since opening in the year 2000.

Instructor William Pope said: “My students deserved to do so well as they put a lot of effort in. It is a huge achievement to have won so many medals in such a big competition.

“And the fact that we won 19 medals with just 14 students shows just how much talent there is at the club.

“It is the most we have ever won at the nationals.”

Eccles had three individual champions in Raymond Kanyanga, aged 10, Rebecca Horton, aged 13, and Peter Booth, aged eight. They triumphed in the kumite over 5ft six to four kyu section, the cadet kata (patterned movements) category and the kumite under 4ft open pee-wee event respectively.

Eccles instructor Ricky Birchall said: “We have very high standards at the club and the students don’t just keep meeting them, they keep raising them.

“Nothing surprises me with them any more. To win 18 medals at the Ken Yu Kai Nationals is a great achievement. I am really pleased.”

Angie Kelly was the Broughton club’s solitary gold medal winner. The 41-year-old prevailed in the ladies open kata category.

Instructor Jack Fletcher said: “The club has not won anything over the last few years. The club was dying but over the last couple of months we have risen from the flames and to have won 10 national medals with just eight competitors is absolutely fantastic.

“It has given the club a real shot in the arm.”

Medal winners in full: Langworthy Ken Yu Kai, gold: Stephen Surtees. Silver: William Pope (2), Mary Clarke, Danny McColgan (2), Robert Clarke, Molly Dwyer, Stephen Surtees. Bronze: Becky Darvill (2), Chelsea Harwood (2), Leonie Berry (2), Olivia Froggart, Dwyer, Jack Surtees, Adam McColgan. Eccles Karate Club, gold: Raymond Kanyanga, Rebecca Horton, Peter Booth. Silver: Saul Whittle, Horton, Sean Towey, Hannah Sammon. Bronze: Towey (3), Hannah Sammon, Brian Kanyanga, David Smith, Booth, Horton, Raymond Kanyanga, Danny Briggs. Broughton Ken Yu Kai, gold: Angie Kelly. Silver: Joseph Strickland, Emma Woodward, George Brophy. Bronze: Woodward, Louis Kelly, Kane Brophy, George Brophy, Shannon Wilson, Jack Fletcher.