Ten Karate Ireland ONAKAI athletes will be competing at the Karate World Championship in Madrid this week, with a target of gathering points on the qualifying table for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, where Karate will feature for the first time on senior level. Competition takes place from the 6 – 11 November.
The two-year qualifications for Tokyo commenced in July of this year and will run until 6th July 2020. While athletes have several opportunities to accumulate points, the highest number will be available at the WKF World Senior Championships in Madrid.
The first event on the programme will be the eliminations rounds across all the categories. First up for Ireland is Una Flynn competing in the Elimination Round in kata, competing in pool 2. Ruairí Dougal will also be in action, competing in Male Kumite +84kg, Pool 1, as well as Sean O’Connor in Male Kumite -84kg Pool 3.
Caradh O’Donovan is the currently highest ranked athlete, currently ranked on the Tokyo qualification list at 96th place. The former international kickboxer will test herself against the world’s best in Female Kumite -61kg on Wednesday 7th having received a bye into the second round. Her first competition will be against Jordan’s Aseel Alnaimi.
Over the next two years Irish athletes will have an opportunity to acquire ranking leading to selection for the elite few qualification places, in addition to which athletes will have an opportunity to qualify during the European Games (June 2019) or the WKF Qualification Tournament (Paris, May 2020).
IRISH KARATE TEAM
Ruairí Dougal – Male Kumite +84kg
Una Flynn – Female Kata
Seona Gannon – Female Kumite -50kg
Rory Kavanagh – Male Kumite -67kg
Mairí Kerin – Female Kumite -55kg
Shauna Mullaney – Team Event
Sean O’Connor – Male Kumite -84kg
Caradh O’Donovan – Female Kumite -61kg
Conor O’Sullivan – Male Kumite -60kg
Craig Ryan – Male Kumite – 75kg
SCHEDULE
Tuesday 6th November
12:00 Local Time (11:00 Irish) Una Flynn Kata Elimination Round
14:10 Local Time (13:10 Irish) Ruairí Dougal Male Kumite +84kg Elimination Round
17:30 Local Time (16:30 Irish) Sean O’Connor Male Kumite -84kg Second Round
Wednesday 7th November
10:00 Local Time (09:00 Irish) Craig Ryan Male Kumite -75kg
12:00 Local Time (11:00 Irish) Caradh O’Donovan Female Kumite -61kg Second Round
13:15 Local Time (12:15 Irish) Rory Kavanagh Male Kumite -67kg Second Round
15:00 Local Time (14:00 Irish) Mairi Kerin Female Kumite -55kg Second Round
16:15 Local Time (15:15 Irish) Conor O’Sullivan Male Kumite -60kg Second Round
17:45 Local Time (16:45 Irish) Seona Gannon Female Kumite -50kg Elimination Round
Thursday 8th November
12:00 Local Time (11:00 Irish) Male Kumite Team – Conor O’Sullivan, Rory Kavanagh, Craig Ryan, Ruairí Dougal, Sean O’Connor – Elimination Round
15:00 Local Time (14:00 Irish) Female Kumite Team – Caradh O’Donovan, Mairí Kerin, Shauna Mullaney – Elimination Round
Friday 9th November
09:00 Local Time (08:00 Irish) – Male Kumite Team Eliminations
13:00 Local Time (12:00 Irish) – Female Kumite Team Eliminations
15:00 – 17:00 Local Time (14:00 – 16:00 Irish) Male and Female Kumite Team Repechage
Saturday 10th November
TBC Bronze Matches and Finals in Individual Events
Sunday 11th November
TBC Bronze Matches and Finals in Team Events
