Israeli Special Needs Karate Champion Wins Gold

Israeli Idan Levi won a gold medal at the 2021 Inclusive World Karate Championship for Athletes with Disabilities held online on April 25 when the World Karate Federation I-Karate hosted 304 athletes from 24 countries.

Competitors submitted a video clip documenting their karate expertise and abilities, as well as a picture of themselves and a description of their disability, said federation official Eric Bortels. Competitors were separated into 41 categories based on their abilities.

Despite the pandemic, Bortels was determined to create space for athletes to continue their karate practices. “All disabled athletes can participate in this championship,” Bortels said at the opening ceremony.

“I had an idea to do something for our disabled athletes because they could no longer compete,” he added.

The result was a championship where people with special needs could compete without the challenges of special transportation and other hardships that participants with disabilities might face, allowing athletes from many more countries than usual. to participate.

Among them was Levi, from Ramat Gan, who performed a kata, a form of karate that looks like an elegant yet powerful dance perfecting the movement of the martial art. He showcased the Heian Nidan Kata, a display of 26 movements, half of which is performed in the background. The form includes a knife block and kicks in a precise and symmetrical manner.

Levi had a total score of 24.6 to win the gold medal in his category. Hatikva, the Israeli national anthem was played in the background when Levi was announced the winner.

The online championship was broadcast on YouTube and received more than 1,000 views, according to the federation.

The I-Karate Global federation strives to include people with special needs by building their confidence and providing them with competitive sport.

“The ultimate goal of a ‘karateka’ is to become a better person, broadly defined, regardless of physical and / or mental disabilities,” Bortels wrote in the federation’s manifesto.

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