Six Saanich karate athletes from Varsity Performance karate took home 9 medals at the 2nd Annual Victoria Open Karate Championships held on October 6th at the PISE sport centre gymnasium.
Three of the club’s athletes earned medals in both the kata (forms) and kumite (sparing) divisions. Newcomer Chris Jones took home a gold and a silver in the male 12/13 year old kata and kumite events while club-mate Yashita Kaku earned double silver medals in 8/9 year old female kata and kumite divisions. Ella Crowle won a kumite silver and a kata bronze in the female 14/15 year old divisions.
Brothers Irvin and Robin Goraya each took bronze in the male 16/17 and 14/15 year old kumite divisions respectively while Anika Ocean Elliot also earned bronze in her female 12/13 kumite division.
Varsity Performance Karate club coaches Kraig Devlin, Dr. Tanya Crowle and Aaron Elliot supported the athletes and the event which drew approximately 200 participants from more than a dozen BC and Washington State clubs.
