Some 300 participants have confirmed to take part in the 2023 Araw ng Dabaw Karatedo Championships hosted by the Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation Incorporated-XI on March 25 and 26 at the SM City Davao Annex.
Visiting clubs from Manila, Cebu, Zamboanga, North Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro and General Santos City are taking part in the tournament aside from the clubs in Davao City and nearby Davao provinces and cities.
“It will be something like a national tournament as entries from Manila, Cebu, Zamboanga, North Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos and Davao are expressing their intent to join,” said KPSFI Region XI Director Rommel Tan during the Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at the SM City Davao Annex last week.
Up for grabs are medals in the various age groups for both Kata and Kumite competitions.
Meantime, Tan expressed gratefulness for the support to KPSFI-XI and AAK (Association for the Advancement of Karatedo).
KPSFI-XI and AAK-Davao’s Heleina Dominique Herrera So and Robert Dayan Jr. were recipients of the SMC-PSA Tony Siddayao Awards which was held in Manila last March 6. The two awardees graced the DSA Forum last week.
“I’m proud of both Heleina and Robert as they climbed up the stage along with other young athletes who did made the country proud of their feat,” Tan said.
“I was so happy to see other awardees when I climbed up the stage to receive the SMC-PSA trophy and the Milo Grit and Glory trophy,” said the nine year-old So, daughter of Davao City Sports Council Incorporated President Dexter So.
“I felt more motivated to keep on going upon receiving the award,” Dayanan Jr., for his part, added.
On the other hand, Tan bared that the AAK Davao has two entries to the South East Asia Karate Federation Championships with Sam Cartagena and Aldren Solon seeing action as part of the RP Team to be played at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
