First karate juniors to biggest world championships 16 October 2006

History is about to be made by three local young people this weekend as they become the first Carnalea Karate Club juniors ever to represent Northern Ireland at the WKC World Karate Championships.

Brothers Neil & Glen Bailie and Claire McPeake have been preparing for this event for the last year. Since selections in May, their training programme has really stepped up, both in the Carnalea club and by the fortnightly Northern Ireland squad training sessions.

Carnalea Chief Instructor and current world senior champion, David Brashaw explained “This is a fantastic moment for the club. We have been running for twelve years and these are the first members outside of my own karate career to be selected for this massive event.”

In case anyone is not aware of its magnitude; the event, which is taking place in Hannover from 18 – 22 October, will attract approximately 2000 competitors from across the globe. It is probably the biggest karate competition ever staged.

Top world nation USA, prepare their junior squad for this event with a ‘funded' four-week training camp in Hawaii, where their team train for forty hours per week plus educational schooling. In order to help our three athletes compete against this competitor and professionalism our three representatives have been in extra training every week with the Carnalea coaches. The hardest part of which has been the early mornings training at Scrabo Country Park in Newtownards.

As has always been the case, due to Northern Ireland karate politics once again the Northern Ireland team are not funded. Subsequently the individuals and their families have had to cover all of the costs to be ambassadors for their country. The three students from Carnalea were hoping to receive a token amount of assistance from North Down Borough Council, however they were disappointed to be advised that a decision is yet to be made, hopefully at the end of November.

Brothers Neil and Glen have been training in Carnalea for the last seven years and have represented Northern Ireland and won international medals at nearly every event they have entered over the last three years. Claire has been training for almost four years and during that time has progressed rapidly in her karate skills and performance breaking into the Northern Ireland squad in early 2005.

David added “Without a doubt, whether or not they get to a final, let alone get anywhere near a medal, just to be selected to go to this fantastic event is a feat to be recognised.”

The forty strong Northern Ireland party of competitors, coaches, parents and officials heads of to Hannover on Tuesday 17 October. Everyone at Carnalea and in the Ulster Karate Council are wishing them every success and know that they will make Northern Ireland proud.

Glen, Claire and Neil       Results from the event