The youngster first entered a Karate dojo (a training hall, or practice area) in the Kagugu suburb of Kigali in 2018, while aged 12. Lucie Yezakuzwe was then a primary five pupil at GS Kagugu whose major interest, besides her school reading club, was singing in the church choir. When one of her cousins joined the Karate club, Yezakuzwe hesitated. About three weeks later, out of curiosity, she passed by to watch and was surprised to see that her friends were actually having fun practicing Karate. At first, Yezakuzwe’s mother was not impressed seeing her get involved in ‘games that should be played by boys.’ “There were kids doing Karate in our neighbourhood and it looked okay. But whenever my daughter was kicked and hurt I got very worried. I was disturbed but, funny enough, she was actually happy. All I could do was always pray for her so that she never gets serious injuries,” said Agnes Kantengwa, a mother of two. “She could, once in a while, come home with bad injuries! But because she loved the game and was not quiting I eventually gave up worrying.” A year after she joined the Karate club, Yezakuzwe started participating in the juniors’ competitions, at club level. When Flying Eagle Karate-Do club celebrated its 10 year anniversary, in 2019, she won two gold medals, in Kata and Kumite, respectively. In 2020, she surprised many karatekas by winning gold after an energetic Kata performance during the annual Japan Ambassador cup, a national tournament. A year later, she participated in a virtual International karate championship held in Sri Lanka and won silver. She also won bronze during the JKA Rwanda e-Kata championships. “She’s a very hardworking determined girl who wants to excel in everything. In school, she’s always among the best three students,” Antoine Marie Claret Habakwizera, Yezakuzwe's coach told The New Times. During the 2022 Genocide Memorial Tournament, her Kata skills again earned her a bronze medal. During the 2023 edition, she stepped up – won gold while battling on the tatami, and silver for her Kata prowess. During the national interschool games in Huye District, Yezakuzwe won gold in Kumite and Kata contests. By then, Noel Nkuranyabahizi, the national team coach, and others in the federation, were keenly monitoring her progression. “She performed impressively during the interschool games. There were several other good and young athletes but she surpassed them. She was really good. She defeated some young women who we expected to be better. We noticed areas of improvement but the potential was evident,” Nkuranyabahizi said. When the teen won bronze medals in Kata and Kumite contests during the inaugural liberation cup tournament held in Rubavu, in August, a decision had already been made. ALSO READ: Africa Karate championships: Rwanda to be represented by squad of 9 She had to be on the national team. The fearless Senior 4 student had showed promise at home but no one expected her, on her debut at the 2023 UFAK Senior, Cadet and Junior Championships (annual African Karate Championships), in Casablanca, Morocco, to raise Rwanda's flag at the medal podium. She won bronze while fighting in the junior Kumite -53kg category, on August 19. Overall, Yezakuzwe who loves to compete in all disciplines also emerged fifth in the Kata contest. Before she was eventually eliminated, Yezakuzwe also emerged second among eight competitors in the first round of the Kata contest. Like all fans, her mother, Agnes Kantengwa, was overjoyed. She was among the group of fans that waited at the airport to receive the national team a few hours past midnight on August 23. “I was so happy that she represented the country well. I am proud of her,” the mother noted. Habakwizera added: “Lucie is not difficult. And she has an objective. She knows she cannot rest on her laurels because she has serious competition in the club and outside.” Yezakuzwe was the only athlete in the nine-member national squad at the championships that won a medal. And that has a context. The entire team put in a “very good effort, and performance,” according to Nkuranyabahizi. During team Kumite fights, each competing country fields a squad of five players. They fight in pairs and the team with the highest score wins. ALSO READ: 2018: A golden year for Rwanda Karate Compared to the 2018 African championships held at Intare Arena, in Kigali, where Rwanda won its first ever gold medal at continental level, the 2023 squad’s performance also showed that the country can actually fairly compete with the giants of Africa. At the end, Rwanda’s Kumite team emerged fifth after African Karate giants Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria, respectively. Sixth was Cameroon. “The referees and other officials from our region who saw how Rwanda battled these heavyweights came to congratulate us after our games. They saw our spirit, and potential,” Nkuranyabahizi said. According to him, Yezakuzwe’s medal was, “undoubtedly, a great achievement for a kid who was debuting” on the bigger African level of competition where 27 countries fought for gold but “the entire team deserves plaudits.” He said: “Yezakuzwe has a big bright Karate future. The same goes for Rwanda as a country. In all the 27 countries that competed, Rwanda emerged fifth in team Kumite. That was the first time our Kumite team achieved this and, you know, these team battles are about a country actually meeting another and it showed how we stand.” A host of Karate stars competed in Casablanca, including Olympians Ali Elsawy (Egypt) in male Kumite -67kg, and Abdalla Abdelaziz (Egypt) in male Kumite -75kg. The event also had World champions Ahlam Youssef (Egypt) in female Kumite -55kg, and Youssef Badawy (Egypt) in male Kumite -84kg, as well as World Championships silver medallist Okila Menna Shaaban (Egypt) in female Kumite 68kg, and World Championships bronze medallist Abdel Ali Jina (Morocco) in male Kumite -60kg fighting for gold. Compared to the 2018 team that had – the ever nagging financial constraints put aside – veterans such as former national champion Vanily Ngarambe and others who “struggled” for many years and had more experience, the 2023 national squad was younger and less experienced. In 2018, the team which boasted some members with world Cup experience, was coached by experienced Egyptian expert Hashim Mahmoud Mohamed Hashim. At the time, Maic Shyaka Ndutiye, then 17, and a big stage debutant won gold, and become Africa’s new champion in the -55kg male kumite category. Defeating an Egyptian opponent was a big deal too. In the final match, he faced Egypt’s Amr Alaa Aboukora, showed no fear, and remarkably controlled the match to win 2-1. Intare Arena raptured. The Egyptians are renowned fighters respected by the best worldwide. But, clearly, Ndutiye respected his opponent but was not afraid. For the very first time also, in 2018, Rwanda’s senior fighters won medals at a continental level. Ngarambe and Emery Espoir Ntungane, both then 25, added more medals - silver and bronze, respectively, to Rwanda’s tally. In 2018, Ndutiye won gold while playing in the junior – ages 16 to 17 – category. In Casablanca, he battled, for the very first time, in the seniors category. And he put in a good show; considering the strength of the opposition. Although there are times when the difficulties appear too great, Yezakuzwe and other Karatekas are not throwing in the towel yet. “Training for tournaments is no joke if you want to be in good shape. There will be injuries and other challenges. And some people will tell you that Karate is for boys. But you have to ignore such talk, and stay focused,” Yezakuzwe said.
