Labuan: Labuan's Nur Aneesa Aira Mohamad Affendi and Mohd Norfarhan Nordin made Malaysia proud by winning three bronze medals in the 19th Universal Shotokan Karate Union (USKU)) International Karate Championship 2017 in Japan last weekend.Nur Aneesa Aira, a Primary Three pupil at SK Pekan 2 and who has been in the karate arena since she was five years old, bagged two bronze medals in the Girls 9-year-old Kata Individual and Girls Kumite Individual, while Sukma athlete, Mohd Norfarhan earned the third bronze through the Men Open Kata Individual.Another Labuan karateka, Zacchaeus Dunang, a Primary Six pupil of SJKC Chi Wen, lost in the 3rd round of the tournament for the 12-year-old Kumite category.
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The international event was held from October 13-15 in Takanabe, Miyazaki."The Labuan duo have shown tremendous performance and made it to a podium finish," said Labuan Karate Association chief coach Aswadee Taba.
"As Japan is a karate powerhouse, this tournament provides good exposure to our karate athletes and their achievement is a good start for Labuan's karatekas," he said.He said consistent training should be made and more tournaments should be participated to prepare the athletes for the coming Sukma 2018.
