It’s been a remarkable year for Shima Karate.
Changes to Karate B.C.’s events schedule in 2011 meant two provincial championship tournaments fell in one calendar year – the first was in January, the second last month. It meant athletes had the rare chance to win more than one provincial title in a year.
Seizing the opportunity was Hannah Darmadi. The nine-year-old won three gold medals at this recent tournament at Burnaby’s B.C. Institute of Technology, placing first in her age division in forms, team forms and weapons. In January she won gold in forms.
Shima sensei Kurt Nordli said Darmadi is a determined athlete committed to practice.
“She does everything that you need to do to be good,” he said. “Not a lot of kids want to push that hard, but she does. It makes a difference.”
Shima’s Scott Zmaeff won gold in weapons to bring his 2011 provincial gold medal count to three. Bernadette Alvarez also won gold at both tournaments.
Nordli said Nanaimo’s Shima club was responsible for approximately one-third of Vancouver Island’s medals at provincials.
“It was a really good showing,” he said.
Results from provincials include:
Seven-and-under - Tallia Rogers, third, forms.
Eight-nine-year-old - Mackenzie Khakh, first, novice forms, third, novice sparring; Hannah Darmadi, first, intermediate forms; Coen Francis, first, novice forms; Amelia Cooper, third, intermediate forms, third, intermediate sparring; Joshua Darmadi, third, novice sparring.
Nine-and-under - Hannah Darmadi, first, weapons, first, team forms; Dylan Odgers, first, team forms; Fletcher Falk, first, team forms; Coen Francis, third, weapons; Corin Cooper, third, weapons.
10-11-year-old - Levi Thomas, first, intermediate sparring, second, intermediate forms.
10-13-year-old - Dayton Popham, first, weapons; Christina Craig, third, team forms; Samantha Wolff, third, team forms; Trenton Harper, third, team forms.
12-13-year-old - Karli McGarry, second, novice sparring, third, novice forms; Sage Thomas, third, intermediate sparring, third, intermediate forms; Kaiden Vichert, second, intermediate forms; Ben Loyst, third, novice forms, third, novice sparring; Dayton Popham, third, sparring.
14-17-year-old - Jacob Kitchen, first, weapons; Emlyn Folkes, third, weapons.
16-17-year-old - Bernadette Alvarez, second, team sparring, third, team forms.
16-and-over - Emma Arksey, first, team forms; Bernadette Alvarez, first, team forms; Shaylene Lee, first, team forms.
17-and-under - Dustin Schultz, second, team forms; Zahnil Lal, second, team forms; Jacob Kitchen, second, team forms.
18-20-year-old - Brielle Cooper, first, intermediate sparring
18-and-over - Scott Zmaeff, first, weapons.
Masters men - Brian Maximchuk, second, sparring, third, forms.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com