On Sunday, 14th December 2014, 1st Traditional Karate Santa Claus Cup was held in Boston’s Peter Paine Sports Centre. The event organized by the Traditional Karate Academy Boston (TKAB), was dedicated exclusively to children aged 13 and below. They arrived from various parts of England – London, Nottingham, Bournemouth, Brighton, Peterborough, Spalding and Boston – to stand to fight for a place on the podium.
The morning practice sessions, led by by sensei Lukasz Radwanski (3rd dan), Gold Medallist at the World Championships (Lodz, 2012), multiple medallist at the European Championships, and the competition itself was attended by over 70 participants. The competition was played in the categories of individual and team kata, where medals were won by:
- Higher Grades:
Adriana Peinseniece – 1st place
Matviejs Pekuskins – 2nd place
Cornelia Malczewska and Philip Majchrzak – 3rd place
- Lower grades:
9 yo and older
Kacper Wielgosz – 1st place
Gabriela Nadolna – 2nd place
Mikolaj Zlomaniec and Patrick Marszalek – 3rd place
8 – 7 yo
Kiril Snikeris – 1st place
Julia Marszalek – 2nd place
Patrick Godzisz and Timofei Kabak – 3rd place
6 yo and younger
Ernest Skarzinskij – 1st place
Patrick Kojro – 2nd place
Karina Gomes and David Wisniewski – 3rd place
Team Kata competition was won by TKA Boston team: Adriana Peinseniece, Marviejs Pekuskins and Patryk Godzisz.
The event was honoured by the arrival of distinguished guests: Madam Mayor, Alison Austin and former Mayor, Councillor, Paul Kenny, who showed keen interest in the activities carried out by the children on the mat and admired their determination and efforts for winning. They also drew attention to the aspects of co-existence and social integration during trainings and sports events.
Emphasis was put on the need for inclusive action and spreading the idea of joint actions in order to create a diverse community equal opportunities.
Traditional Karate was mentioned as a platform which operates for all kinds of cultures and nationalities connected by a joint effort and quest for a common purpose.
