NCD’s tentative Karate team list for 2012 PNG Games

The National Capital District’s (NCD) tentative Karate team list for the 2012 Papua New Guinea (PNG) Grassroots Games has been released. According a copy given to PNG Warrior, the management team includes Sensei Joe Kubul as the manager, Gorettie Mari as manageress and Sempai John Ali to manage the point contact team while Sensei Ben Bonn will manage the full contact team.

The fighters are Sempai Julius Piku who will participate in the male individual kata, team kata, musical kata and team point contact. In the male team kata, he will be joined by John Ali and Jason Carl and later by Leonard Robinson, Cosmas Saliwali and Nigel Bana in the team musical kata.

For the females, Crystal Mari will take the lead in the individual and individual musical kata. She will then be joined by Billy-jean Kubul and Alphonsa Mari in the female team event and later Serah Ande will join the team for team musical kata.

In the male point contact kumité, Cosmas Saliwali will represent the district in the U55kg, Terence Rau in the U60kg, Silas Piskaut in the U65kg, Tony Gorogo in the U75kg, and Leonard Robinson in the U84kg while John Ali will take the +84kg division. No names have been given for the open division. These fighters will also compete in the team kumité.

The females will see current Pacific Games gold medalist Melisa Turia in the U50kg, Alphonsa Mari in the U55kg, Violet Wangi in the U61kg, Alfreda Kurabi in the U68kg while Doris Joseph will take on the +68kg and open division. The team kumité will see Joseph, Turia, Wangi and Alphonsa Mari participate.

In the male’s individual full contact kumité, Silas Piskaut will fight in the U64kg division, Bernard Sinai and Micheal Gegs will compete in the U74kg, Patrick Kassamento in the U84kg and Joe Kubul will fight in the +84kg division. The females will have Melisa Turia in the U54kg, Doris Joseph in the U64kg, Alfreda Kurabi in the U74kg and Elizabeth Ali in the +74kg division.

In the other events, Silas Piskaut and Alfreda Kurabi will perform tameshiwari or breakings while Joe Kubul will perform kobudo or weapons for the males and Doris Joseph for the females.

According to Sempai John Ali the list is subject to change and a final list will be released once everything has been sorted out. Meanwhile, Ali has asked Sempai Samson Benroy of the Papua New Guinea Mas. Oyama Kyokushin Karate Association (PNGMOKKA) to handle full contact training.

The team has been scheduled to train at the Murray Barracks Gym on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 4pm – 6pm, and from 3pm – 5pm on Sundays. The venue will be shared with boxing and kickboxing.