The 7th East Asian Karate Federation Senior Championships was held for two consecutive days (20 and 21 May) at the Macao Forum. Four athletes from the Macao team: Paula Cristina Pereira Carion, Wong Sok I, and Lou Wai Kit from the Kumite category and Sou Soi Lam from the individual category performed their best in this year’s competition. They are qualified to participate in the Asian Karate Championships, which is to be held in Kazakhstan this July. They won 3 silvers and 4 bronzes in total. Paula Cristina Pereira Carion, the most experienced senior member stated, “I have regained my competitive spirit and morale. I hope that I can keep my morale high in the Asian Games next year. I should also strengthen my speed and power.”
The East Asian Karate Championships this year attracted more than 200 athletes coming from China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, DPR Korea, Hong Kong, and Macao. There were various contests composed of 36 events in the teen, youth, and adult groups. Macao sent six male and five female athletes to participate in the Championships. Out of these athletes, only two athletes from the adult group: Kuok Kin Hang and Sou Soi Lam were sent to the qualifying round. The rest of the athletes competed in the Kumite category.
Wong Sok I Lost the Gold Medal with Insufficient Points
In the Women’s Below-55 kg Kumite event, Wong Sok I, a stronger Macao athlete in the adult group successfully punched and defeated the contestant from Taiwan by 1 point at the last moment of the match. In the grand final of the championships, she competed against Ma Man Sum - an experienced athlete from Hong Kong. Both of them could not score during the time period as set by the rules. The adjudicators decided that Ma Man Sum won eventually. Thus, regrettably Wong Sok I failed to be crowned the champion. In the previous East Asian Championships, Wong Sok I had lost to Ma Man Sum by 0:6. She lost again this time due to the adjudicators’ decision in spite of the fact that she fought until the last moment of the match. Having wanted to win the gold medal so badly, she was lost in thought after her defeat: “I felt that I had punched her successfully several times, but I could not score because I did not pull my fist back well. That is what I must improve”.
Paula Cristina Pereira Carion won a silver medal
In the UAE World Karate Championship League held in March, Paula Cristina Pereira Carion ranked the 7th. This time, she competed in a three-person-round-robin tournament in the Women’s Above-68 kg event. She lost to Saito Aya from Japan by 0:1 in the first round. In the second round, at 1:0, Paula Cristina Pereira Carion defeated the contestant from China who also lost to Saito Aya. She won a silver medal with the record of 1 win and 1 loss.
In the Men’s Above-84 kg Kumite event, Lou Wai Kit became disadvantaged in the first round when facing Taiwan contestant Wang Yong Qi, who is more advantaged in terms of bodily height. Lou finally lost to his opponent by 0:5. In the bronze medal match, Lou Wai Kit gained an advantage when he faced Hong Kong contestant Ng Chon Yin, whose height is similar to Lou’s. Lou defeated him by landslide and won the bronze medal with 5:1.
Sou Soi Lam became ambitious during the competition
In the events of the individual category, female athlete Sou Soi Lam won her first medal in an open event. In the bronze medal match, she defeated the contestant from China and won a bronze medal. Sou Soi Lam, who competed in the individual category as a Macao team member for the third time, stated: “There is still room for improving my stability and control over emotions. After all when I was competing in another category, namely the individual category, I had to change the Goju-ryu into the Shito-ryu in order to show more jumping movements. I also need to deepen my basic techniques”. Earlier in May, Kuok Kin Hang, who was crowned the champion in the Macao Open, failed to perform his best in this fight. Having failed to show his own advantage, he was defeated by Cheng Chi Man from Hong Kong by his high-speed routines. Kuok failed to win championships only after one match.
For other events, Fong Man Wai, Wong Sok I and Paula Cristina Pereira Carion competed in the Women’s group Kumite matches. After being defeated by Taiwan, Macao won against Hong Kong with 2:1 and won the second runner-up in the bronze medal match. Fong Man Wai also got one bronze medal in the below-50 kg event. Ni Zi Jin from Taiwan defeated Leong On Tik from the male teen’s group in the final of the below-68 kg category by 0:4, but Leong still won the silver medal.
