Karaganda karate players have collected a record harvest of medals

Two major international Kyokushin karate tournaments were held in Astana at once – the Asian Championship among men and women and the Junior World Championship. Karaganda karate players were among the strongest. The national team of Karaganda region won a record number of medals: 11 gold, 11 silver and 15 bronze.

Athletes from 22 countries of the near and far abroad took part – Kazakhstan, Japan, Russia, Romania, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Latvia, Jordan, Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, India.

The battles for medals took place on three tatami mats of the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace.

– We prepared very well. Four training camps were held, three of which were in the mountains of Almaty, and the final short one was in Astana. Karaganda residents showed excellent results, brought the lion's share of gold medals to the national team's piggy bank. As a result, Kazakhstan took the overall first place. Our athletes were able to defeat the world champions from Japan and Russia. According to the medal standings, the national team of the Karaganda region has set a new historical record! – says Timur Raiymbekov, director of the Karaganda branch of the Republican Public Association "All-Kazakhstan Kekushinkai Karate Organization".

The Asian champions were: Timur Raiymbekov, Alexey Bai, Sabina Zhamilenova, Vladimir Grinevetsky, Stanislav Poludinsky, Aurika Kitik. Anel Kamanbek won the gold medal in the kata discipline. Diana Eszhanova, Artyom Redin, Mansur Nigmatullin and Polina Zimaleva won the Junior World Championship.

The best fighters of the Asian championship received tickets to the World Cup, which will be held in Australia in the fall.