A team of 6 kumite athletes and current Senior National Team members will soon be traveling to Turkey to take part in the 2011 Istanbul Open Karate Championships, one of this year's WKF-sanctionned Karate 1 international tournaments. This high-level event has been identified by National Team Coaches, at the start of the season, as an ideal preparation and test event for our 4 athletes who will be representing Canada at the upcoming 2011 Pan Am Games.

 

Here is the full team roster for this event:
-Jusleen Virk (Female Kumite -50 kg)
-Goli Khalili (Female Kumite -61 kg)
-Kate Campbell (Female kumite -61 kg)
-Olivia Grant (Female Kumite +68 kg)
-Sorin Alexandru (Male Kumite -84 kg)
-Shaun Dhillon (Male Kumite +84kg)

These athletes will be accompanied by National Team Coach Gary Sabean, as well as by Karate Canada's President Ms Rébecca Khoury. Our athletes are scheduled to compete on Saturday, September 17th. Stay tuned for full results...

2011 KC Summit and Symposium to be held in Toronto, November 26-27

Karate Canada will host the 2011 edition of its yearly Summit and Symposium in Toronto on November 26 and 27. This year's edition promises to be very exciting for all, with many interesting conferences, courses and workshops led by renown experts. Click here for a first invitation to this event (or click here to download a higher resolution version of this invitation poster), which will offer development and training opportunities for referees, instructors, athletes and coaches alike. Please note that the 2011 Karate Canada Annual General Meeting will also be held in Toronto on November 25th, just prior to the Summit and Symposium. More details coming soon...

 

Junior Panams (Brazil): Team Canada Finishes Tournament With a Tally of 11 Medals

After three days of competition, Team Canada is bringing back a total of 11 medals from the 2011 Junior Panamerican Championships (Fortaleza, Brazil). Besides the Team results from day 1, here are the latest results:

Cadet (14-15) Male Kata:
-Tan Nguyen: Bronze
-Sean Grech: Bronze

Junior (16-17) Kumite:
-Charlotte Boudreau-Drouin (female -53kg): bronze
-Francessca Béchard (female +59kg): Bronze
-Derek Chan (male -55kg): Bronze
-Matthieu Patry (male -68kg): Bronze

U21 (18-20) Kumite:
Émanuelle Garneau-Mignot (female +60kg): Silver
Jusleen Virk (female -53kg): Silver
Kamille Desjardins (female -60kg): Bronze

Several of our athletes have also ranked amongst the Top 5 in their division.

(Click here for access to a site providing full results.) Our sincere congratulations to our athletes and Coaching staff! Next on the agenda for Juniors: the 2011 Junior World Championships in Malaysia, in October...

Promising First Day for the National Team at the Junior Panamerican Championships: Bronze in U21 Female Team Kumite and in Cadet Male Team Kata

As competition began at the 2011 Junior Panamerican Karate Championships (in Fortaleza, Brazil) yesterday, our Canadian athletes delivered remarkable performances, earning 2 bronze medals in team events. Our U21 Kumite Teams and our Cadet Kata Team (14-15 years old) were the only Canadian athletes scheduled to compete yesterday. Our young men (Paulo Santillan, Thomas Dong and Terrence Chan) earned the bronze medal in Cadet Team Kata, after a loss against Brazil, while our female U21 kumite athletes earned the bronze medal in Team Kumite, after defeating their Mexican rivals and losing to the USA (who then went on to earn silver, losing the final to Venezuela). The men's U21 Kumite Team defeated their american counterparts before losing to the Mexican Team, thus earning a 5th place finish.

These results lead us to anticipate great things for the remainder of the tournament, as individual kata and kumite competition for Cadets (14-15 years old) and Juniors (16-17 years old) gets underway today. It seems that the PKF is alas not posting live results of the championship as expected, but we will continue to post results as soon as we obtain them.

Our sincere congratulations to our medalists, and best of luck to all for today and tomorrow!

The 2012-2013 Athlete Assistance Program Carding Criteria Are Now Online

Click here to view Karate Canada's 2012-2013 AAP Carding Criteria.

2011 Junior Panam Championships (Brazil) :
The Team is Ready for Action!

The Karate Canada Junior National Team Members have all landed in Fortaleza, Brazil, for their imminent participation in the 2011 Jr Panamerican Karate Championships. The tournament will run from September 1st to September 3rd. The Team is accompanied by several Canadian Referees, by Karate Canada's 2nd VP and Team Leader Ms Kristel Larouche, by National Team Coaches Sandeep Gill, Nicole Poirier and Germain Bisson, and by Karate Canada President Ms Rébecca Khoury.

Click here to view the full Team Roster, or click here to gain access to the PKF website, where results should get posted live over the course of the tournament (via SportData), thus allowing you to follow our athletes' performances on their way to the podium! More updates soon...

Date of the 2011 AGM Moved from November 26 to November 25, 2011

Please note that the 2011 Karate Canada Annual General Meeting, which was originally scheduled for November 26, 2011, has now been re-scheduled to Friday, November 25, 2011. As announced earlier, however, the Meeting will be held in person, as a prelude to the 2011 Karate Canada Annual Summit, which is to be held in the Toronto area on November 26-27. More details will be provided shortly.

New Brunswick Hosting a National Karate Referee Clinic in Fredericton, September 17-18

Click here for more information.

Clarification about National Competition Eligibility Rules

There has been some confusion in the past about Karate Canada’s regulations and interpretation of its rules of eligibility at national events. Karate Canada has been engaged in both a competition and high performance review and as such will revise its National Competition Rules.
 
Pending the notification and implementation of these new rules, 17 year olds shall be permitted to compete in both the 18-20 and adult competition categories. Following the 2012 National Tournament, all future changes shall be made with a minimum of 90 days notice prior to the National Tournament.

Victoria Barusic takes the Gold at the 2011 Commonwealth Karate Championships

This young athlete from British Columbia proudly represented Canada by earning the gold medal in the Junior (16-17 year old) -53 kg female kumite division, at this international event which was held last week in Sydney, Australia. In her final match, Victoria defeated Australian National Team Member Alexandra Gallo, who had recently won the Oceanic Cup and had been undefeated for 3 years. Victoria won their final match by a score of 4-1 (no penalties).

Ms Barusic was coached by Karate Canada National Team Coach Ms NIcole Poirier. Karate Canada's President (Ms Rébecca Khoury) and 1st Vice-President (Mr Craig Vokey) were also in attendance. Ms Khoury has been actively involved in the development and establishment of a Commonwealth organization for karate, with hopes of integrating the sport of karate to the Commonwealth Games program in due time.

Karate Canada wishes to sincerely congratulate Victoria for her remarkable performance in Australia, and wishes her continued success in the years to come!

Visa Applications for Brazil (Junior Panamerican Championships): Update

Please note that Visaconnections has just informed us of recent changes for Visa applicants from the regions of Ottawa and Eastern provinces. Please ensure, if going through Visaconnections for your application, to submit a signed, completed and notarized copy of the authorization letter provided by the Brazilian Consulate, as well as copies of passports or citizen cards of both parents, for all applicants aged 17 or less.

2011 Ibero-American Championships: Bronze in Open Kumite for Chris De Sousa Costa!

Congratulations to Mr De Sousa Costa and to the rest of the Team for their performances in NIcaragua this weekend.
Click here for full results.

Team Canada Lands in Nicaragua for the 2011 Ibero American Karate Championships

Here is the list of National Team athletes who will be representing Canada at this invitational international event assembling Teams from Spain and from various latin american nations, on July 16 :

-Roxanne Côté (female kumite -50 kg)
-Véronique Leblanc (female kumite -55 kg + Open)
-Maude L'écuyer (female kumite -68 kg)
-Guy Viau (male kumite -60 kg)
-Sébastien Larose (male kumite -67 kg)
-Chris De Sousa Costa (male kumite +84kg & Open)

These athletes will be accompanied by National Team Coach Mariève Blais, by National Referee Committee Chair Norma Foster and by Karate Canada's President Ms Rébecca Khoury.

Please join us in wishing these athletes the best of luck at this event!

2011 Junior Panamerican Karate Championships: Online Registration Form for National Team Members and Referees

Please click here to fill out the online registration form for selected National Team members and Canadian Referees for this event.

Should you wish for Karate Canada to provide you with group airfare options and require additional Booking Forms for accompanying family members, please click here.

Visas for Brazil – Information Update

Click here for the latest information on applying for a Visa for travel to Brazil, for the upcoming Junior Panamerican Championships.

2011 Junior Panamerican Karate Championships: Confirmation of Participation and Travel Information

Eligible athletes are invited to confirm their intent to participate in this tournament, by July 12th. Click here for the link with which to confirm intent online, and for more information on registration and travel.

2011 Commonwealth Karate Championships: Hotel Information and Online Registration Link

All athletes who have competed in the 2011 Canadian National Karate Championships (St-Hyacinthe, March 18-20) are eligible to compete in and represent Canada at the 2011 Commonwealth Karate Championships which will be held soon in Sydney, Australia.

Athletes who wish to compete in this event must confirm their intent by filling out an online registration form by July 14th. Please click here to access the online registration form.

Furthermore, please note that the Canadian Team will be residing at the Rydges Bankstown Hotel, from July 25th (1st training session scheduled for 5PM local time that day) to August 1st (departure). Click here for the Hotel website and information.

Preferred rates are available for Karate Canada members ($139 AUS + taxes for queen room, $159 AUS + taxes for double rooms); in order to benefit from this rate, however, please reserve through our preferred Travel Agent, Stage and Screen Travel Services. Here is our manager's contact information at Stage and Screen:

Mr. Ben Walker
Stage and Screen Travel services
1 Dundas Street West, 2nd Floor – Room R, Toronto, ON, M5G 1Z3
Tel: (647) 260-4456
Fax: (647) 260-4462
Toll free: 1-855-766-8480
After-hours emergency care: (647) 220-4846
Email: ben.walker@stageandscreen.ca

Click here to view the list of registered participants and delegations for this event on the SportData website.

2011 Panamerican Junior Karate Championships - General Information

Click here to download some general information for all participants (ZIP file).
or perhaps, read the online pdf...

2011 Commonwealth Karate Championships - General Information

Click here to download some general information (ZIP file).
or perhaps, read these online pdf documents...
• Commonwealth Karate Championships - General information (pdf)
• 2011 Commonwealth Karate Championships - Bulletin 3 (pdf en anglais)

2011 North American Karate Cup: Shaun Dhillon Snatches Gold & Canada Qualifies 3 Additional Athletes for the 2011 Pan American Games!

Karate Canada has proudly hosted the latest edition of the North American Karate Cup on June 23-25, assembling the best Senior athletes from Mexico, the USA and Canada. The event was a complete success, and our athletes have also performed remarkably well, earning a total of 1 gold, 6 silver and 16 bronze medals (click here for full results in pdf)! Mr Shaun Dhillon of British Columbia delivered riveting performances, thus claiming the title in the men’s +84 kg kumite division. Furthermore, Canada has qualified 3 additional athletes for the upcoming Pan American Games (Mexico, October 2011), for a current total of 4 spots (Olivia Grant had already earned her spot for the Games when winning gold at the Senior Pan American championships late May). The 3 newly qualified athletes are: Shaun Dhillon, Goli Khalili and Sorin Alexandru.

By virtue of a recent change in the qualification process which has occurred within the Panamerican Karate Federation, the results of 2 other Canadian finalists (Jusleen Virk and Jennifer Guillette), which would normally have allowed them to qualify for the Games, do not count for such qualification at this time. Karate Canada, the North American Karate Federation and the COC are, however, disputing this recent change, and are awaiting a final outcome regarding this issue.

Karate Canada wishes to congratulate all of its athletes and National Team Coaches, and expresses its sincere thanks to all volunteers and referees who contributed so generously to making this event such a huge success. We also wish to thank all of ours sponsors and partners for this prestigious tournament.

Olivia Grant Wins Gold at Panamerican Championships!

On Day 2 of the 2011 Sr Panamerican Karate Championships (Guadalajara, Mexico, May 27-29), Olivia Grant won the gold medal in the women's +68 kg individual kumite category. Olivia thus becomes the first Canadian athlete to have earned her spot for participation in the 2011 Pan American Games, a vast multi-sport celebration of excellence which will take place in Mexico in October.

Other great news on Day 3 of competition, as Sorin Alexandru earned the bronze medal in the Open division, and as the Men's Kumite Team defeated the USA and Chile on their way to the bronze medal!

Our sincere congratulations go to our medalists and to all their team mates!

Full results can be found here.

1st Joint North American Referee Course

Karate Canada is proud to announce that it will hold the 1st Joint North American Referee Course on June 26, in Montreal QC, shortly after the North American Karate Cup. Click here for the Invitation to this Referee Course.

2011 AGM to be held at the 2011 KC Summit

Please note that the 2011 Annual General Meeting will be held in person at the 2011 Karate Canada Summit (November 26-27). Exact schedule and location will be provided shortly.

Latest results from Team Canada at the Senior PKF Championships in Mexico

Click here to obtain the latest results from our Senior Canadian National Karate Team athletes in Guadalajara, Mexico, where they are competing in the 2011 Sr Panamerican Championships, from May 27 to May 29 inclusively.

North American Cup: Tickets on Sale Now!

Tickets may now be purchased in advance for the North American Karate Cup (Montreal, June 25, 2011). Please go to the Sport Data website, register to obtain user name and password, specify the number of tickets required and complete your purchase online using Paypal. Price of tickets purchased online is 20$; admission at the door will cost 25$ (free admission for children under 10). Don't miss this spectacular event!

2011 North American Cup: Volunteers needed!

Karate Canada is recruiting volunteers for this prestigious international event, which will assemble the best Senior athletes from Mexico, the USA and Canada, as they attempt to qualify for the 2011 Pan Am Games. Click here for an invitation from our Events Committee Chair, Ms. Christine Béchard.

Karate Canada Announces the Dates of the 2011 Summit and the 2012 National Championships

Karate Canada is proud to announce that Karate BC will be co-hosting the next National Championships in Richmond, BC, on March 16-18, 2012. Please note that the date of the 2011 KC Summit has been changed to November 26-27, 2011 (location to be announced soon). Please see the various recent changes in our Calendar tab.

Team Canada Prepares for Mexico!

The Sr National Team will soon be competing in the 2011 Senior Panamerican Karate Championships, in Guadalajara, Mexico. This important tournament will take place on May 27-29, and will be followed by a two-day Sr National Team Training Camp. This event will also be a qualification event for the upcoming XVth Pan American Games (Guadalajara, Mexico, October 27-29, 2011).

In light of the PKF's recent decision to limit the number of participants in individual kumite divisions to only one athlete per country per Pan Am Games-qualification category, Karate Canada has had to make a new selection of its athletes for this event. Please join us in congratulating the athletes who have been selected to compete at this event as part of the Canadian National Team (click here for full team roster), and in wishing them the best of luck at this important event.

These athletes will also be accompanied by 3 National Team Coaches (Mr Gary Sabean, Ms Nicole Poirier and Mr Philippe Poirier) as well as several Canadian Referees and Karate Canada's President, Ms Rébecca Khoury.

New Committee Structure

As a result of the work performed by its Board of Directors at a January 2011 Board Retreat, Karate Canada has recently modified its governance structure and adopted new Terms of References for its various Committees. You may get a glimpse of this new structure by consulting the Committees tab.

More details will be provided shortly.

Coming Events

Please find below some preliminary information about coming events for both Junior and Senior National Team members and athletes. More information will be provided and made available for each of these events as it becomes available.

2011 North American Karate Cup (Montreal, QC, June 23-25)

Participation in this event is reserved to Canadian, Mexican and American Senior National Team members only (plus a selection of development athletes for the Team Kumite portion of the event). Regional Qualification event for the 2011 Pan American Games. Click here for the Invitation Package. Karate Canada will also host / offer a Senior National Team Training Camp on June 26th (also open to team kumite athletes at the NA Cup).

2011 Commonwealth Karate Championships (Sydney, Australia, July 24-August 1st)

Although participants must be approved by Karate Canada, participation is not limited to National Team Members. Junior and Senior athletes welcome. An online invitation form will be available and posted soon. Click here for the Event Bulletin.

2011 Ibero-American Karate Cup (Managua, Nicaragua, July 12-18)

Invitational Tournament. Participation is reserved to 12 athletes only (Senior National Team members). Online invitation form will be sent to eligible athletes soon. Click here for the event bulletin.

2011 Junior Pan-American Championships (Forteleza, Brazil,
August 25-September 7)

Participation is reserved to age-eligible current Junior National Team members only. More information and an online registration form will be sent to all eligible athletes shortly.

2011 Junior World Karate Championships (Maleka, Malaysia,
October 8-17)

Participation is reserved to age-eligible current Junior National Team members only. More information and an online registration form will be sent to all eligible athletes shortly.

Final Results for Team Canada at the 2011 USA Open

Karate Canada wishes to congratulate its Sr and Junior National Team Members and Coaches, as well as all Canadian participants in this recent and prestigious international event. Canadians have earned numerous medals at this tournament, including 1 gold, 2 silvers and 6 bronze medals in the Senior Elite Kumite divisions.

Please click here for full results.

We would like to thank our National Team Coaches at this event, as well as the club or provincial Coaches who generously offered their assistance to our National Team athletes at this event: Mr Sandeep Gill, Mr Kraig Devlin, Ms Mariève Blais, Ms Nicole Poirier, Mr Germain Bisson and Ms Btissama Essadiqi. You have of course been instrumental in ensuring the success of our Canadian delegation at this Championship. We also would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Ms Christine Béchard, who devotedly assisted the Team with logistics and management, as well as Karate Canada's Team Doctor, Mr Christian Mainville, for his precious assistance.

The subsequent Senior National Team Training Camp was also a success, and assembled various national team members from Canada, Columbia, the Dominican Republic and Chile, under the tutelage of our Canadian Coaches and of Mr Javier Mantilla.