The national Karate team has begun rigorous training at Amahoro national stadium ahead of the 16th edition of African Karate Championships scheduled for July 15-17 in Durban, South Africa.

Seeking to win the first gold medal at the biennial continental showpiece, a team of 12 karatekas started daily non-residential training last month under the close supervision of national team coaches Yuji Kazuki and Noel Nkuranyabahizi.

"We are left with less than two weeks before we head to Durban, so we need to use the remaining period to put final touches and prepare the guys mentally because we want to win a gold medal,” said Nkuranyabahizi.

In the previous tournament that was staged in Dakar, Senegal, out of the team of 16 players that represented the country, only one, Solange Gashagaza Ingabire, won a bronze medal after subduing an opponent from Congo Brazzaville.

Initially, this year’s edition was supposed to be staged in Libreville, Gabon from April 22-24 but Gabon later withdrew from hosting the competition and South Africa stepped in as substitute hosts.

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