Ambassador of Japan Karate Championships concludes at Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium

The Ambassador of Japan Karate Championships 2020, organised by the Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Karate-Do Federation, was held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium on 15 February. 

The competition was conducted in commemoration of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games which is scheduled in Japan this summer, where karate has been listed as an official sport of the Olympics for the first time. 

Over 3,000 karate practitioners from different clubs across the island eagerly participated in this first-ever Ambassador Cup in Sri Lanka, which featured the performance of ‘kata’ and demonstrated the broad popularity of karate in the country. The winning clubs were feted in the respective categories listed below:

Winner - Shitoryu Karate Do Shukokai, Sri Lanka

First runner-up - Int Goju Ryu Karate Do Sakurakai

Second runner-up - Japan Karatedo Itosukai Sri Lanka Branch

Third runner-up - International Goprakai Karate Association

During the karate championships’ interval, a special ceremony to confer the prestigious Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation on Sri Lanka Karate-Do Federation President Sisira Kumara was held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium where Ambassador Sugiyama Akira, on behalf of the Japanese Government, handed over a certificate of commendation to Kumara while expressing his deep appreciation for his efforts to make karate among the most popular sports in Sri Lanka. 

Over four decades, Kumara has been working strenuously to increase the number of karate practitioners from both rural and urban settings, and there are now over half a million young boys and girls actively participating in the sport. 

Originating in Japan, karate simultaneously cultivates inner qualities and physical skills that support the healthy development of both mind and body. Ministry of Foreign Relations Additional Secretary Periyasamy Pillai Selvaraj attended the ceremony as Chief Guest while National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka President Suresh Subramaniam was also among those who graced the occasion.