3. Barclays Foundation Karate Tournament
... FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, A FULL EXAMPLE OF KARATE WITH DIGNITY
http://www.berabera.com/web/noticias.asp?titu=6978
Organized by the Bera Bera Club and the Guipuzcoan Federation of Sports for Persons with Disabilities, last Saturday, November 20th, the III Barclays Foundation Tournament was celebrated in the Arts Center of Anoeta in San Sebastián; a karate championship for persons with disabilities.
The institutional support was reflected by the presence, among other important figures, of Mrs. Rafaela Romero, President of the County Council of Gipuzkoa. As always, the presence of Pedro Ager and Belén Peral, representatives of the Barclays Foundation, could be counted on.
31 karatekas, 17 with Down syndrome, 5 with visual impairment, 5 with intellectual impairment and 4 with physical disabilities, participated in an international championship unique of its kind. The karatekas who came from Sicily, Lonbardia, Lazio, Abrutzzo, Niza, Marsella, Salamanca, Granada, Ávila, León, Mallorca, Béjar, Madrid, Ortuella, Baracaldo, Aretxabaleta, Renteria, and Donostia San Sebastián taught us their high working capacity, efforts and abilities to overcome, showing us they are active subjects in this discipline.
The competition was divided in 8 categories:
- Group A up to yellow belt Down syndrome
- Group B orange and green Down syndrome
- Group C brown belt Down syndrome
- Group D physical disability
- Group E intellectual impairment
- Group F black belt Down syndrome
- Group G visual impairment
- Group H wheelchair physical disability
All karatekas demonstrated a very high technical level, but the public was astonished by the katas presented by 45 year old French Gilles Kolfenter, blind and 3rd karate Dan, and also by the katas and the bunkai represented by karatekas Virginia Ballario, Stephane Ballario and Cyrille Casals on wheelchair.
The Centro Sportivo Educativo Nazionale CSEN Italian team contributed with an important group of karatekas with diverse disabilities. The National Coordinator, Master Paradisi Mauricio, demonstrated that when one works, one accomplishes the desired outcomes. The dance company Verdini Dantza Taldea de Donosita made up of dancers with Down syndrome, delighted the public with part of their touring show “dantzaria naiz”. A simple tribute was performed for the athlete´s teachers gifting them a small token, as well as for the referees who collaborated in the championship. At the end of the tournament, the person in charge, Jesús Murua, expressed: “This event is unique, there are no precedents to such participation, and it has all been thanks to you, the karatekas, coaches, family members, sponsors, partners, who with your presence here in Donostia San Sebastián, have made this possible.
I would like to call upon the Guipuzcoan Karate Federation, the Basque Karate Federation and the Spanish Karate Federation, to continue with the steps the World Karate Federation has taken, since in September, along with the German Federation, they organized an activity for persons with disabilities; and I would like to say, that the competition rules have already been put together by the World Karate Federation and all that has to be done is to “copy and paste”, and if necessary, to personalize a portion of the text to each situation. May they continue with the example of the World Federation.”
The written press, radios and various televisions have done a very important follow up of the championship, making the relationship between karate and disability an example to be followed by other sports.
In the next few days a documentary-report will be emitted on public television ETB about the Championship. Part of the same can be seen on the Italian CSEN-TV Television on the Internet on: www.csen.tv
Main partners for the tournament:
- Barclays Foundation
- Donostia San Sebastián City Council
- Gipuzkoa County Council
- Gipuzkoa Autonomous Council
- Spanish Federation of Barrier Free Sports
- Verdini Dantza Taldea
- World Karate Federation
- Vizcaína Karate Federation
