All is now set for the 3rd edition of the Strata Base National Open Senior Karate Championship, which will be held at the Alfred Diete Spiff Sports Complex in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital from 1st to 4th May, 2024.
In an interview with www.aclsports.com the sponsor, Dr Chukwudi Dimkpa said he expects improved technical skills in the Kumite and Kata as well as rivalry between Team Strata Base and other teams.
He revealed that much attention will be shifted to technical officials, referees and judges.
Dimkpa, who is the chairman, South-South Zone of the Karate Federation of Nigeria said, “I am looking forward to improved technical skills in Kumite and Kata. I am also looking at a continuation of the intense rivalries we’ve witnessed among athletes in the past editions between Team Anambra, Team Delta, Team FCT and Team Strata Base.
He said, “Our attention this year would be more on technical officials, referees and judges. We need to achieve an international level of officiating that would encourage the athletes, produce transparent results & boost their confidence when they compete on the international stage.
Dimkpa noted that athletes stand the chances of gathering points from the championship which will reflect on their national rankings.
He expressed disappointment in the performances of Team Nigeria at the 13th African Games in Ghana.
He said, “The competition is a KFN Factor “6” event and as such points gained by athletes will improve their national ranking. The better the athlete’s ranking, the better the chances for the athlete to get invited to the national camp. In addition, we have cash prizes & medals for the athletes.
“Quite frankly, the performance was disappointing but it underscores the point that we need our officiating to be top-notch even at our national events. Our athletes, coaches and referees need to be up-to-date on the WKF scoring system. Additionally, the selection criteria need to be transparent”.
“We’ve been doing this actively since 2021. We’ve sponsored athletes to Egypt, South Africa and narrowly missed Morocco last year. We always have a wild card entry for athletes from the South-South region who perform well at our Strata Base Events,” he added.
