July 4, 2022 – St. John’s, NL – For the first time since 2019, Karate Canada was able to hold their annual Nationals Championships in St. John’s, Newfoundland on July 1-3. 

Almost 500 athletes, junior and senior, came together to fight for the national titles in kata, kumite, para-karate and team kata. This also allowed medalists to join the 2022-2023 National Team roster for events to come 

Focus now turns to Mexico, as the newly formed Junior team will compete at the Junior Pan American Championships in Mexico city on August 22-28. The 2022 Junior World Championships team selection will be based off the 2022 National Championships and the 2022 Pan American Championships result.  

The National Championships is also the first team selection event of the 2022-2023 Senior team for events such as Commonwealth Championships, Pan American Championships, North American Cup and Pan American Games qualifiers. 

Karate Canada Awards Banquet 

The return of National Championships also meant the return of the annual Karate Canada Award Banquet, which highlighted exceptional people in an array of categories. 

Here are the award winners: 

• Volunteer of the tournament: Sandy Fraser
• Coach of the Year: Gilles Renaud 
• Referee of the Year: Chloé Thibaudeau 
• Para-athlete of the Year: Natalie Olson 
• Female Junior Athlete of the Year: Yamina Lahyanssa 
• Male Junior Athlete of the Year: Ethan Small 
• Female Senior Athlete of the Year: Haya Jumaa 
• Male Senior Athlete of the Year: Daniel Gaysinski 

It was also the occasion to introduce a few new Hall of Fame inductees. These people have contributed greatly to the success of Karate Canada, within Canada’s borders or on the international scene. 

• Saeed Baghbani 
• Sam Moledzki  
• Katarina Vadovicova 
• Nassim Varasteh 

About Karate Canada  

Karate Canada is a not-for-profit corporation with the objective of describing and incorporating all activities related to the promotion, organization, regulation and popularization of the sport of karate all over Canada, of protecting the physical and emotional health of athletes, and of promoting the interests of karate throughout Canada.  

Karate Canada and its 11 Provincial and Territorial Associations members normally assemble roughly 16,000 participants nationwide. Furthermore, Karate Canada is a proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, the World Karate Federation and the Pan American Karate Federation. See more at www.karatecanada.org.