| Seidokan Zambia v/s Seidokan Zimbabwe: RESULTS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eustace Nyirenda reports as follows:-
SPEECH BY THE ACTING CHAIRMAN OF THE ALL ZAMBIA SEIDOKAN KARATE AND KOBUDO ASSOCIATION, MR. EUSTACE NYIRENDA ON THE ZAMBIA/ZIMBABWE KARATE CHAMPIONSHIP 2000 HELD AT THE NATIONAL SPORTS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE ON 22NF JULY 2000 REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NATIONAL SPORTS COUNCIL OF ZAMBIA CHAIRMAN OF THE ZAMBIA KARATE FEDERATION CHAIRMAN OF THE ZIMBABWE SEIDOKAN KARATE ASSOCIATION CHAIRMAN OF THE SEIDOKAN KARATE SHIHANKAI CHAIRMAN OF THE SHOTOKAN KARATE ASSOCATION DISTINGUISHED GUESTS FELLOW KARATEKA LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I AM GREATLY HUMBLED BY YOU ALL FOR AFFORDING ME A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO YOU AT THIS MOMENT IN MY CAPACITY AS ACTING CHAIRMAN OF THE ALL ZAMBIA SEIDOKAN KARATE AND KOBUDO ASSOCIATON. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU GATHERED HERE THIS AFTERNOON TO WITNESS THE THIRD ANNUAL TOURNAMENT BETWEEN ZAMBIA AND ZIMBABWE AND ALSO THE FIRST ONE IN THIS NEW MILLENIUM. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS EVENT TAKES PLACE EVERY YEAR IN WHICH THE TWO COUNTRIES CONTEST IN DIFFERENT COMPETITION CATEGORIES AND WE HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WE HAVE BENEFITED THROUGH FOSTERED PARTNERSHIP AND SPORTSMANSHIP AMONG CITIZENS OF BOTH COUNTRIES. THIS, WE BELIEVE IS AN ADDITION TO THE ALREADY EXISTING WARM RELATIONSHIP WHICH THE TWO NATIONS ENJOYING.SECONDLY, I WISH TO EXTEND OUR APPRECIATION TO THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE FOR THE TIRELESS EFFORT FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET ME APPRAISE YOU ON THE SHORT HISTORY OF SEIDOKAN KARATE IN ZAMBIA. SEIDOKAN KARATE AND KOBUDO WAS FOUNDED BY A GRANDMASTER, SOKE TOMA ON THE OKINAWAN ISLAND OF JAPAN. SEIDOKAN KARATE WAS INTRODUCED IN ZAMBIA 18 YEARS AGO AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA BY MASTER STEPHEN CHAN. THE FIRST SENIOR STUDENTS IN THIS SPORT HAVE A STRONG BACKGROUND OF SHOTOKAN KARATE AND JUKOKAI INTERNATIONAL. DURING THE EARLY 90’S SEIDOKAN KARATE SPREAD TO ZIMBABWE THROUGH MASTER JIMMY MAVENGE WHO WAS A STUDENT OF SEIDOKAN KARATE IN ZAMBIA. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THIS MAN AS WITHOUT HIM THIS GATHERING WHICH IS HERE TODAY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE AND WE THANK ZIMBAWEANS FOR COMING. OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO POPULARISE AND ENCOURAGE THE PRACTICE OF SEIDOKAN KARATE BOTH AS A SPORT AND A TRADITION. IN CARRYING OUT OUR NOBLE FUNCTIONS, WE TRAIN, EDUCATE, MOTIVATE, TEST, QUALIFY, UPLIFT, REWARD AND HONOUR OUR STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS FOR THEIR MAXIMUM BENEFIT. IN SO DOING, WE COMMUNICATE AND DEVELOP BOTH THE INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL VALUE OF THE NOBLE SPORT AND ART OF KARATE AS A WHOLE. SEIDOKAN KARATE IS THE MOST ACTIVE STYLE IN TERMS OF ORGANISATION IN ZAMBIA SO FAR. SINCE ITS BEGINNING THE STYLE HAS PRODUCED A TOTAL OUTPUT OF MORE THAN 40 BLACKBELS RANGING FROM 1ST TO 5TH DEGREE, SOME OF WHOM ARE ZAMBIANS ENTIRELY DEPENDING ON KARATE OUTSIDE ZAMBIA. IN TOTAL THE COUNTRY HAS A MEMBERSHIP OF 2,000 OF WHICH 500 ARE ACTIVE. 80% OF THE ACTIVE ARE YOUTH, WHILE 5% ARE WOMEN. ONE OF OUR SENIOR ZAMBIAN MASTERS HAS WRITTEN A BOOK ON PRINCIPLES OF KARATE IN WHICH HE IDENTIFIES AS A SEARCH FOR TECHNIQUE AND HEART IN KARATE. WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE A BUSY WORKPROGAMME THIS YEAR WHICH INCLUDES TOURNAMENTS, BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL, CLINICS, WORKSHOPS, FUNDRAISING VENTURES AND A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMMES. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE CANNOT MANAGE TO RUN KARATE ACTIVITIES WITHOUT GOOD AND WORKABLE SPORTS POLICIES WHICH HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED BY GOVERNMENT AND CARRIED OUT BY THE NATIONAL SPORTS COUNCIL AND THE ZAMBIA KARATE FEDERATION. THE SEIDOKAN ASSOCIATION THANKS THE THREE WINGS FOR THE SUPPORT RENDERED SO FAR AND WE WILL TAKE FULL ADVANTAG OF THE BENEFITS. WE HAVE SEVERAL PROBLEMS WHICH I DO NOT WANT TO BORE YOU WITH, BUT ARE MAINLY DUE TO LACK OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES. I COMMEND ALL OUR KARATE CLUBS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE STOOD BY OUR SIDE DURING VERY HARD TIMES. SEIDOKAN KARATE IS NOT ONLY A SPORT, BUT ALSO INVOLVES WEAPONS AS YOU WILL SEE, WHICH CAN PROVE TO BE A VERY EFFECTIVE SYSTEM FOR SELF DEFENCE. I CALL UPON THE POLICE, MILITARY, NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH ASSOCIATIONS AND SECURITY COMPANIES TO EXPLOIT THE VAST DEFENCE SKILLS SEIDOKAN KARATE OFFERS. THIS WE BELIVE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CAN CONTRIBUTE TO REDUCTION OF CRIME WHICH IS CURRENTLY ON THE RISE IN ZAMBIA. FELLOW KARATEKAS, I HAVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE FOR YOU. WHILE WE ARE PRACTICING KARATE AS A SPORT, NO MATTER FROM WHAT ANGLE IT IS VIEWED, KARATE IS DANGEREOUS IF MISUSED IN PUBLIC. YOU ARE URGED TO KEEP AWAY FROM DANGERAOUS ACTIVITIES AND USE KARATE TO DEFEND THE INTERESTS OF ZAMBIAN CITIZENS. AVOID USE AND ABUSE OF SPORTS DRUGS AS LAW PROHIBITS THIS. IN THIS WAY WE WILL WIN THE NECESARY SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPORT AS A WHOLE. I CALL UPON THE GOVERNMENT TO CONTNUE WITH A DELIBERATE EFFORT TO DEVELOP OTHER SPORTS OTHER THAN SOCCER ONLY AS WE CANNOT ALL PLAY FOOTBALL. AND LASTLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR SPONSORS – NATIONAL SPORTS COUNCIL OF ZAMBIA, ZUNGULILA ZAMBIA, JAGODA GEMSTONES, ZNBC AND RADIO PHOENIX FOR MAKING THIS EVENT POSSIBLE. WITH THESE MANY REMARKS, I THANK EVERYBODY FOR LISTENING AND WISH YOU A PLEASANT ENTERTAINMENT.. THANK YOU. ã Simon Semilo Chilembo 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||