Kalmadi felicitates Commonwealth Karate medalists

Pune, Jun 8 (UNI) Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President and MP Suresh Kalmadi today felicitated teenagers of the All India Karate-Do Federation (AIKF) for bringing laurels to the country by bagging two gold and five bronze medals in the fourth edition of the Commonwealth Karate championship, held at Edinburgh, in Scotland recently.

The 16-member Indian squad claimed two gold and five bronze medals in the championship held from May 31 to June one. Incidentally, all the medal winners are from Maharashtra in the under 10 years category.

Kalmadi, while lauding the efforts of the boys and girls, asked them to continue their good work in world championship event to be held in Greece in the first week of July. Though IOA has recognised the sport, it has bore fruits after three decades.

The AIKF has a lot to do for the promotion and proliferation of the sport and also advocated them to have total transperancy in their work to avoid in-fighting, he said.

AIKF president R Thiagrajan accompanied the team as chef de mission, Sensai Vispy Kapadia, AIKF vice-president and sensai Salauddin Ansari were the coaches.

The Medal winners are: Gold Medals: Boys Under-10 (Kata) (Individual): Aniruddha Sakpal.

Girls Under-10 (Kata) (Individual): Seeta Patel.

Bronze Medals: Boys Under 10 (Kumite) (Individual): Aniruddha Sakpal.

Team: Behram Kapadia, Annirudha Sakpal, Ayaan Ansari Team (Open Girls): Natalia Dalal, Monali Roy, Shisti Godbole Girls Under-10 (Kata) (Individual): Arzoo Jain.

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