Published: 24 January, 2013
by STEVE BARNETT

A TOUGH team of martial artists grabbed a mighty medal haul on Sunday when they showed their steel at the English National Colour Belts Karate Championships in Sheffield.

Sensei Raphael Veras took 24 members of his Shoujin Karate Kai squad to the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre where they scooped 34 gongs, comprising nine golds, six silvers and 19 bronze medals.

Juniors Luan and Liam Veras and Emre Oner started the ball rolling by winning gold in the nine and under team kata (form) and kumite (fighting) category. Luan, 8, added an individual silver in the nine and under kata event. Five-year-old Luca, the youngest of the Veras brothers, and Liam, 7, were also celebrating after capturing silver and bronze respectively in the nine and under individual kumite category. Charlie Hussey went one better than he did last year by winning gold in the disability category.

Andrius Stankus won gold in the individual kumite 16-17 years event, while his younger brother Domantas picked up a bronze in the 12-13 years age group.

 Jake Frampton, 14, also won silver in the individual kumite.

In the senior ranks competition debutants Sergio Gomes, Lucian de Lima and Lucas O’Sullivan collected a team bronze in the kumite events. Lucian also won gold in the individual kata, while O’Sullivan took a silver and a bronze from his individual kumite events and a bronze in the kata.

Nicole Hussey put in a good fight to win silver in her senior women’s event, before joining forces with Patricia Perote and Shaida Khaliq to win bronze in their team event.

There was also a team bronze for Archie Gemmell, Max Berg and Romeo Noruzaj.