The Sunday Mail
BRIAN CHIRINGA will not be toasting to his WFKO–Africa Shorin Kempo Karate tournament triumph as he focuses on the World Championships later this year.
Chiringa (32) last week won the Africa Shorin Kempo open weight category in South Africa, but the karateka, who turned professional in 2000, says he will not be popping the champagne bottles yet.
“I am delighted with my success and it will push me to work harder. To win this year’s edition after coming fourth in 2013 shows there are things I have done right over the past two years.
“Winning any tournament is something worth celebrating, but I will not be drinking champagne or throwing a party because of a demanding programme during the second half of the year,” said Chiringa, who trains at Empire Gym in Harare.
The World Championships are set for Russia in October, but first Chiringa will gun for the Shihan Les Barnes title in August.
“I won it in 2012 and 2013 and will be looking forward to bagging another one. We have got the World Championships in Russia and good preparation is needed for that because I bowed out in the second round of the 2013 edition in Bulgaria,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe has won the right to host the 2016 Zone VI Championships.
Local fighters will be hoping for better shows on home soil after coming back from last week’s competition in South Africa with one silver and two bronze medals.
Zimbabwe Karate Union president Sensei Joe Rugwete, who retained his Zone VI regional secretary-general post, disclosed that financial challenges hindered them from sending a full strength team to this year’s edition.
“South Africa had over 100 fighters, Namibia had 80, Botswana 85, Mozambique 14 and we had eight. This is a reflection of the amount of Government support other countries get. Our athletes raised their own funds and we didn’t take the team we wanted both in quality and quantity,” he said.
