HAITO stars shine bright at their own record-breaking tournament
The city’s HAITO Karate Club hosted its largest-ever novice kyokushin kumite tournament at its dojo in Woodston.
The event, held on May 2nd, saw a record-breaking 64 competitors from 10 different clubs across the country converge on the Wharf Road Industrial Estate. For the home club, HAITO Karate, the day was a resounding success, with local fighters securing a massive haul of medals and special awards.
Since its inception just two years ago with fewer than 30 participants, the tournament has more than doubled in size, marking a major milestone for the Peterborough martial arts community.
HAITO's young fighters dominated several categories, with five members taking home prestigious gold medals. Among the standouts were Olusabomi Olaore (Girls U8), Jacob Barker (Boys U10 Heavier), and Robert Cristian Buzatu (Boys U12 Heavier).
The club also showed great strength in the older categories, with Darius Junevic claiming gold in the Boys U14 Midweight division and Adam Pilarski securing the top spot in the Boys U14 Heavyweight category.
One of the highlights of the day was the presentation of the ‘Most Spirited Fighter’ award to HAITO’s Mithran Chandramohan, who was recognised for his incredible heart and determination throughout his matches.
HAITO results
Gold: Olusabomi Olaore (Girls U8), Jacob Barker (Boys U10 Heavier), Robert Cristian Buzatu (Boys U12 Heavier), Darius Junevic (Boys U14 Mid-weight), Adam Pilarski (Boys U14 Heavyweight).
Silver: Sanjay Bibin Kaimal (Boys U8 Heavier), Shanvi Nila Selvinraj (Girls U8), Shawn Suriyan Selvinraj (Boys U10 Heavier), Leonor Sofia Malheiro Da Silva (Girls U10 Lighter), Summer Karkash (Girls U12), William Fisher (Boys U14 Lightweight), Dominic Dziedzic (Boys U14 Midweight), Martynas Barzdaitis (Boys U14 Heavyweight), David Alexandru Buzatu (Boys U16 Lighter).
Bronze: Dawid Staron (Boys U10 Heavier), Oluwatimilehin Adelabu (Boys U12 Lighter), Simas Jucevicius (Boys U14 Heavyweight), Rebeka Pulina (Girls U14 Heavier).
Special recognitions: Mursel Falstrom (Boys U10 Heavier), Mithran Chandramohan (Boys U12 Lighter & Winner: Most Spirited Fighter), Sreya Bibin (Girls U14 Heavier).
A HAITO spokesperson said: “We started this journey with a handful of local clubs, and today we’ve welcomed fighters from as far as Birmingham, Canterbury, and Chelmsford. The energy and respect shown by every fighter, from our U8s to our U16s, embodies everything kyokushin stands for."
For further information on the club visit haitokarate.com.