Indonesia's karatekas earn four golds at SKIF world c'ships

Indonesia's karatekas earn four golds at SKIF world c'ships

NUSA DUA, Bali (JP): Indonesia earned four gold medals at the
seventh Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (SKIF) World
Championships on Saturday, moving into fourth place in the medal
standings.

Indonesia's top kata karateka Aswan Ali won the gold in the
men's individual kata and added one more gold in the kata team
event, along with Elias Tande and Wahyu Widayat.

National women's karateka Meity Kaseger took gold in a bloody
match in the over 60-kilogram kumite event, outclassing
Australian Fiona Rynne in Saturday's final.

Rustam Ibrahim earned Indonesia's first gold by defeating
D'Aloia Franco of Italy on Friday night in the men's veteran
individual kumite for 55 to 59 year olds. Salvador Gracia of
Mexico won the bronze.

Indonesian Christina Sihombing finished third in the women's
over 60-kilogram individual kumite. Indonesian Caya Rahmawati
earlier captured the gold in the kumite event for 12 to 13 year
olds, and Maria Ulfah took another gold for Indonesia in the
kumite event for 14 to 15 year olds.

Aswan overcame Japan's Shinji Tanaka, the silver medalist in
the 1997 championships in Milan, Italy, in the individual kata
event. The bronze went to Nobuaki Kanazawa of Japan, the son of
SKIF president Hirokazu Kanazawa.

"I thank all the people in this country who have trusted me.
This trust has encouraged me to win. I hope my teammates can also
contribute gold for the country," Aswan said after the match.

Elias, who entered the top eight on Friday along with Aswan,
finished fourth.

In the team kata event, Indonesia overpowered Japan, while
Italy, the runner-up at the 1997 SKIF championship, took bronze.

Meity was declared the winner in the quarterfinals after
Italian Tomi Barbera was injured. She then fought Patricia D.
Harada of Australia, who was also battling injury. Harada
finished fourth, losing to Elmira Alakbarova of Azerbaijan.

Alakbarova lost to Rynne in the semifinals.

Indonesia, however, was not very successful in the men's
individual kumite event.

In the under 65-kilogram event, Gurban Taghiyev of Azerbaijan
won the gold by defeating Miguel Yepez of Venezuela in the
finals. Taghiyev's teammate Iossif Djafarov upset Takanori Honda
of Japan to take third place.

As of Saturday night, Japan topped the medal standings with
six golds, seven silvers and seven bronzes, followed by Venezuela
with six golds, six silvers and two bronzes. Azerbaijan was third
with four golds, four silvers and two bronzes.

Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri officially opened the
tournament on Saturday.

"Don't think that Indonesia is not safe, because you have
visited the country. I also hope that all karatekas maintain
sportsmanship because it will boost the sport's positive image,"
she said during her address.

Megawati received an honorary dan seven during the ceremony.
Hirokazu Kanazawa, who displayed his latest fighting style, was
honored with the dan ten, the highest in the shotokan clan. (ivy)