Int'l meet lures 450 karatekas

JAKARTA (JP): Some 489 karatekas and 41 referees from 59 countries will attend the seventh World Shotokan Karate-do International Federation (SKIP) championships from April 21 to April 23 in Nusa Dua, Bali.

Japan, the homeland of shotokan karate-do, will deploy a full team of 36 karatekas, said Fauzy Saidi, a member of the championship's organizing committee. Iran will send 33, Great Britain 27, Venezuela 25 and Mexico and Uzbekistan with 29 karatekas each.

Fauzy told Antara on Saturday that Hong Kong would send 18 karatekas, Russia 14, Australia 20, Srilanka 4, Switzerland 19, Malaysia 13, while United States and Madagascar each would send 9.

Indonesia prepared 28 karatekas and 14 referees for the event, he said. They will compete in the men's individual kata, men's team kata, men's below 65kg kumite, men's below 75kg kumite, men's over 75kg kumite, women's below 60kg kumite and women's over 60kg kumite. (ivy)