On the 3rd of February 2018 the Namibia Karate Union hosted its annual National Trials in Windhoek. Entries for the trials were limited to athletes who placed either first or second at the 2017 National Championships as well as allowing for one wildcard entry per style per division.
The primary objective of the trails was to select athletes to represent Namibia at numerous international events throughout 2018. The trials not only highlighted Namibia’s greatest karate talents, but also served as a basis for the selection of a larger squad; with the purposes of developing the sport in Namibia and preparing our athletes for elite level competition.
Athletes battled it out in both kata and kumite to try and earn a place in the coveted 2018 Namibia Karate Squad. After all the dust had settled, a National squad of 112 athletes (77 Male and 35 Female) across 58 categories was selected. During the upcoming months the squad will undergo rigorous training and physical testing before the Namibian National Karate Coach, Sensei DeWet Moolmann, makes his final decision regarding his National Team.
Once selected, the National team will set their sights on Gaborone, Botswana; where the 2018 Region 5 Karate Championships will be hosted on the 26th of May.