Last Saturday (7 May) over seventy karate competitors from North Down and Ards boroughs came together for the annual Carnalea Basho (tournament). The competition in Bangor Leisure Centre was as always hotly contested by young and not so young, both in kata (patterns) and kumite (sparring).

Guests of honour this year were: Alderman Kieran McCarthy MLA, a strong supporter of sports development throughout Co. Down for many years; Emma Nesbitt, Sports Disability Officer for North Down and Ards; Jim Griffin from Action Research a charity who help give premature babies a better chance to live; Pamela Willis on behalf of the Roxbury Barber Shop, Bangor and Andy Brashaw on behalf of Trandrive Mechanical Engineering.

Special thanks must be given to In-Sport of Newtownards for suppling another beautiful range of twelve categories of trophies and also to First Response Doctors and Thomas Sinnerton for their medical support.

The special awards from this year's Basho were as follows:

Student of the Year, The Brashaw Cup – Glen Bailie, who was was ‘Fighter of the Tournament' in last year's Carlow International.

Hardest Trier, The Willis Cup – Claire McPeake.

Spirit Award, The James Griffin Memorial Shield – Sarah Brashaw.