Karate Kids Shine

Carnalea karate students once again proved their class at the St Patrick's weekend North West of Ireland International. As always the event was huge with over 500 competitors from across Ireland and Wales competing for the silverware. The Carnalea junior team of Levi Kane, Sarah Brashaw and Kate Keenan pulled off a remarkable victory in the under age 13 in the junior kata event, breaking the monopoly on team kata victories held by SKU from Strabane. In the under 16 team kata, the Carnalea team of Neil and Glen Bailie and Claire McPeake were narrowly beaten into silver by the 2004 SKU world cup team. The club had more success in the individual events; the highlights being Sarah Brashaw winning the age 10 - 11 kata event and Glen Bailie winning the boys age under 16 kumite event, beating off his Northern Ireland squad team-mate, Dermot McFeeley from Londonderry in the last few seconds. There was silver for young Sarah Shields in the age 7 mixed kata and a bronze for Rihannon Wells in the age 8 kata event. There was a double for Sarah Keenan, who collected bronze in both the age 9 kata and the age 8 - 9 kumite event. The Bailie brothers, Glen and Neil, won silver and bronze respectively in the under age 16 kata event and fought for the Northern Ireland team in a very exciting international final against the Welsh. The team was unlucky to lose out after a tie-break bout. Claire McPeake had her best ever individual kumite result collecting bronze in the age 14 - 15 girls kumite event, losing out narrowly to Ulster Karate Council stars, Denise Donaghy and Orla McFadden. There were other great performances from the young members of the team, Craig Brashaw, Savannah Romien, Charlie Edgar and Sean Keenan. In fact coach David Brashaw commented "It was a fantastic day, especially considering we have spent the last few months practising traditional karate for a forthcoming grading. Competition training is a different speciality and even without it everyone was still brilliant. Personally I cannot wait until May for the Junior World Championships selections, as I sincerely believe some of our students will get selected to represent Northern Ireland at that event."

The Carnalea club are still looking for a local company to sponsor them especially in this world championship year.

Photographs from the event