Golds flow at karate nationals
Apart from a broken nose, the Australian Karate Federation's 2017 national championships couldn't have gone much better for Jewish fighters and Australian team members Richard Basckin and Yonatan Freund in Sydney earlier this month.
APART from a broken nose, the Australian Karate Federation’s 2017 national championships couldn’t have gone much better for Jewish fighters and Australian team members Richard Basckin and Yonatan Freund in Sydney earlier this month.
Between them, they won five gold medals and one silver – a great confidence booster as they prepare for the Karate World Championships to be held in Spain in late October.
Basckin, 19, is ranked in the world’s top 50 in the -60kg kumite division but had never won gold at nationals before.
This time he bagged three.
After cruising into the men’s U21 -60kg final, Basckin found himself in a battle of attrition against Shiihara Tatsuya, edging home to win by a single point.
Tatsuya ended up being his opponent again in his next final, in the men’s senior -60kg event, but this time Basckin won without losing a point.
“I think it helped fighting him a second time,” Basckin said.
The manner in which Basckin won his third gold, in the open teams event representing NSW, was probably the most impressive.
With the semi-final locked at 2-2, he was called upon to fight in the deciding bout against a Queensland opponent who weighed 84kg, but he found a way to win.
“When you are facing bigger opponents, you have to employ different tactics,” Basckin said.
“I’m quite fast on my feet, so I used that to my advantage.”
In the final against Victoria, bouts were again locked at 2-2 and Basckin prepared to face a 75kg fighter who he’d lost to by one point in the open weight division.
“I really wanted to get one back on him and I was fighting well when we both attempted a strike at the same time and clashed heads, and I came out of it with a broken nose.
“The medics came and said I couldn’t continue, so I won on a points decision.
“It was painful, but we got a win and a big cheer from our supporters.”
Freund, 15, also had a strong tournament, winning gold in the cadet male kumite open event, gold for NSW in the cadet male teams competition, and silver in the cadet male kumite -70kg division, losing the final by just one point.
Romy Freinkel also competed at the nationals in the 12-13 girls kumite -47kg division but lost in the first round.
Basckin will compete next at the German Open in early September.
“That will really give me an indication of where I’m at ahead of the world championships,” Basckin said.
SHANE DESIATNIK
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