Karate: Cadet and Junior National Championship-Two individual titles for Gretel Valentin and Mervin Servina |05 May 2005

A good number of young karatekas from four schools – Kimura Shukokai, Tang Soo Do, Kyokushin and Ashihara – participated in the championship which was of a very high level.

Reigning female karateka of the year Gretel Valentin, of the Kimura Shukokai school, showed everyone present that she can perform well in both form (kata) and fight (kumite), taking first place in both competitions in the 15-17 years old age group.

Second and third to Valentin in the kata competition were Anne-Marie Scherer of Kyokushin and Rebecca Fontaine of Tang Soo Do.
Tang Soo Do’s Rebecca Fontaine was second in the open kumite after losing to Valentin in the final, while Ashihara’s Alexandra Dora and Kimura Shukokai’s Marie-Paule Léon finished joint-third.

Like Valentin, Tang Soo Do’s Mervin Servina was in top form to win both the kata and kumite competitions of the 13-15 years old age category.

His schoolmate Yuri Marie was second in the kata competition followed by Kyokushin’s Ricardo Suzette in third place.

In the final of the kumite, Marie defeated Joeliff Kilindo of Ashihara. Losing semifinalists Dence Malter and Andrew Banane of Tang Soo Do settled for joint-third position.

Four karatekas of the Kimura Shukokai school -– Bernard Thérésine, Dan Thérésine, Daniel Thérésine and Marie-Paule Léon – won a title apiece in the remaining five categories.

Bernard Thérésine won the kata for boys 11-12 years old in front of the Tang Soo Do duo of Yannick Marie and Henry Monthy.

Dan Thérésine deprived Bernard Thérésine of a kata and kumite double by fighting his way to the highest step of the podium with a win over the latter in the kumite.

Tang Soo Do’s Yannick Marie and Kimura Shukokai’s Christopher Marie finished third.

Daniel Thérésine ruled on the mat in the kata competition of the 16-17 years old category ahead of Tang Soo Do’s Dan Simara (second) and Jean-Paul Philo (third).

The fourth Kimura Shukokai karateka to win a gold medal was Marie-Paule Léon in the kata competition for 12-15 years old after having given a better performance than her only opponent Linda Nancui of Kyokushin.

The final prize of the day went to Andrew Françoise of Grand Anse Mahe-based Tang Soo Doo. He defeated Jason Radegonde, also of Tang Soo Do, in the final.

Jean-Paul Philo (Tang Soo Do) and Ricky Sinon (Ashihara) were third.

G. G.