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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter

SEASONED karateka Samson Muripo says they can still pick the momentum gained over the years despite a quiet year that saw them restricted to training after local and major international events were cancelled or postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Muripo together with other local full-contact fighters were scheduled to compete at the Second So-kyokushin World karate tournament in Shizuoka, Japan, in the first quarter of the year but it was moved to 2021.

He also missed other international events but the resilience that comes with the sport has become part of his life on and off the tatami.

“The world is always full of challenges, so Covid-19 is no exception. Every day you have to fight to survive . . . So that spirit of warfare must always be part of our lives going forward.

“The pandemic has put more pressure on everyone. But karate ethos teach us to be strong always, condition us to face any challenges mentally and physically. That kept me going.

“I also had a few colleagues supporting me in various ways and I want to thank them for that,” said Muripo.

The renowned karateka was last year crowned world champion in the Veterans Open category at the sixth Kyokushin Karate World Cup in Moscow, Russia. It was the second time for he won a world title at the Kyokushin Karate World Cup.

The Zimbabwe So-kyokushin Karate Do Organisation branch chief and development officer for Africa said with some of their members losing their jobs it has also affected their sporting side.

Karate is mainly individuals funding themselves.

“The year was challenging on many fronts, especially due to Covid-19, the economic downturn. Some of our karatekas lost their jobs as some companies either scaled down operations or closed down completely. This meant that their contributions to karate were curtailed.

“Also, the lockdown meant that we could not train together for a long time. Even though we introduced virtual sessions, it’s not easy to monitor each other online.

“However, this taught us to embrace the new normal and to find innovative solutions. We participated in some virtual competitions and are proud that we scooped medals. But we were forced to cancel some of our programmes in line with the Covid-19 regulations,” said Muripo.

They are still waiting for the 2021 calendar so that they can plan accordingly but he believes with the right support most of their fighters are raring to go especially after a long break.

“We tried, through our technical teams, to ensure that athletes had a training regime sent to them. Monitoring is key. I believe in 2021 we will be ready for all competitions but we have to get time for camping to ensure we are all at the same level,” said Muripo.

On the positives, the So-kyokushin organisation managed to hold their Kyu training and grading session recently where more than 10 upcoming fighters were upgraded.