Karate finally takes the spotlight

TOKYO • Every city that hosts the Olympics pushes for events popular in its country to be included in the programme, and Tokyo is no different.

The Japanese organisers successfully lobbied for baseball to return after an absence of 13 years and for surfing to make its debut.

The International Olympic Committee also signed off on its request to include karate as a medal sport, an upgrade from the cameo it made as a demonstration sport at the 1964 Tokyo Games.

The ancient Japanese martial art will not reappear on this stage until at least the 2028 Los Angeles Games - Paris 2024 officials have dropped it - but there will be five more gold medals at stake in the next two days.

Three titles were yesterday won at the closed-door Nippon Budokan, the iconic venue whose roof resembles Mount Fuji and the spiritual home of Japanese martial arts, with the pick of the bunch going to Spain's Sandra Sanchez Jaime.

Not only did the 39-year-old win the first Olympic gold in karate but she also became her country's oldest Olympian at 39 years and 323 days. Sanchez Jaime entered the history books by beating Japan's Kiyou Shimizu in the women's kata final on account of her higher athletic score - both karatekas were all square on 19.60 on the technical score.

In kata, practitioners demonstrate offensive and defensive techniques against a virtual opponent, choosing from 102 forms with esoteric-sounding names like chatanyara kushanku and suparinpei that they yell out before they begin.

The execution of the three-minute kata, which come from the four main styles of karate - goju-ryu, shito-ryu, shotokan-ryu and wado-ryu - is scored based on speed, rhythm, balance, sharpness and other factors.

The 2018 world champion beamed and raised her arms skywards after the chief judge had walked out to stand between the two finalists, before raising her right arm to signify victory.

"It is crazy. I am so emotional, I am feeling so many things together. I am happy, but I want to cry," Sanchez Jaime said.

"I need more time to believe that this is real. I want to see my kata and make sure it happened, because right now, I can't believe it.

It was a double celebration for the veteran as it was also the fifth anniversary of her wedding to husband-coach Jesus del Moral.

"This was the perfect final, with Shimizu, in Japan, at the Budokan. This really is the best moment. It is amazing," Sanchez Jaime added.

Later, France's Steven da Costa beat Turkey's Eray Samdan 5-0 in the men's -67kg kumite final, while Bulgarian Ivet Goranova defeated Ukraine's Anzhelika Terliuga 5-1 to land the women's -55kg kumite gold.

In kumite, which neutrals know as sparring, one to three points are rewarded for proper strikes.

Yuko, for a punch to the head or body is worth one point, waza-ari, for kicks to the mid-section is two points and ippon, for a kick to the head or any scoring technique delivered to an opponent who has fallen, gets three points.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS, NYTIMES, XINHUA