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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter

Preparations for Kurai Open Karate Championship scheduled for later this month have not been easy with most athletes finding a return to training difficult.

Bulawayo will carry a team of over 30 athletes to the meet to be held at the Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex on October 30.

The team will consist of 17 girls 14 boys, according to sensei Greatmans Agrippa Sibanda.

“Preparations have been hectic because we have only started training recently; it’s like we are starting everything from scratch.

‘As a sports person once you stop training it affects you, physically and even emotionally. So stopping training really affected the Karate family.

“However, we are slowly getting there and the response from the athletes has been good. The good thing is that most of the athletes are kids and they adapt and grasp concepts easily which is the advantage. Overall, we expect to bring medals from Harare; we are confident that we will excel,” said Sibanda.

Registration fees are pegged at US$15 for Kata, Kumite US$15, Kata and Kumite US$20, late registration US$10 and a protest fee of US$30.

Deadline for registration is Friday.

This will be the second edition of the Kurai Open Karate Championship after successfully hosting it in 2019.

In line with the Olympic values of excellency, friendship and respect, the competition seeks to bring together the karate family after over a year of inactivity caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sibanda urged athletes attending the meet to remain mindful that Covid-19 is active and all Covid-19 protocols spelt out by the Sports and Recreation Commission centred on masking up, washing/sanitising hands, and maintaining social distance at all times are to be observed. – @innocentskizoe