KOCHI: The Jimmy George Stadium in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram is abuzz. 2,000 athletes clad in white, from across the state, are assembled here to participate in the 45th state Karate championships being organised by the Kerala Karate Association (KKA).
Some stand in clusters waiting for their kata (meaning display of martial art forms in karate parlance) or combat competitions. The others are battling it out in the arenas.
“They are selected at the district level,” says Sampath V, office-bearer of the KKA and the secretary of the district Sports Karate Association.
The competitions are being held in several categories like sub-junior, junior, under 21, and senior level.
However, with legal issues embroiling the sport and its activities, the winners cannot move to national and global avenues. “The legal tangles are doing the sport no good. We aren’t making use of the talents in the country,” says Sampath. The championship concludes on January 26