Pronk makes history in Dubai
Local karateka Suzelle Pronk participated in a K1 Premier League event held in Dubai from 14 to 17 February, becoming the first Namibian to compete in this competition, despite her first round exit.
According to a statement by the Namibia Karate Union (NAKU), leading up to the event Pronk was ranked 94th in the world and trained under the watchful eye of Sensei Valdemar Swart, as well as Namibian national coach Llewellyn Manale and Morgan Moss from South Africa.
Pronk drew a tough opponent - Norwegian, Lotte Andersen ranked 44th - in the first round. She indicated in the statement that the level of competition at the tournament and its organisation were of the highest order.
“Most athletes at this level are all elite professionals with full sponsorships for karate; so it's like competing against the Ronaldo's and Messi's of karate, which is a pretty amazing experience in itself,” she was quoted as saying.
NAKU congratulated Pronk on her incredible achievement and for inspiring other Namibian athletes to pursue their dreams.
This year NAKU hopes to provide numerous opportunities for Namibian karatekas to participate internationally, in order for them to gather the necessary experience and develop their skills, as financial constraints are often still a deciding factor when it comes to international participation.
In 2018, Pronk represented Namibia at numerous international events including the Region 5 Karate Championships in Botswana, the Africa Karate Championships in Kigali, Rwanda, and The World Karate Championships in Madrid, Spain.
She was also one of seven Namibian karatekas to win medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Karate Championships in Durban, South Africa and ended the year by participating in her first Karate Series A event in Japan.
Nampa
According to a statement by the Namibia Karate Union (NAKU), leading up to the event Pronk was ranked 94th in the world and trained under the watchful eye of Sensei Valdemar Swart, as well as Namibian national coach Llewellyn Manale and Morgan Moss from South Africa.
Pronk drew a tough opponent - Norwegian, Lotte Andersen ranked 44th - in the first round. She indicated in the statement that the level of competition at the tournament and its organisation were of the highest order.
“Most athletes at this level are all elite professionals with full sponsorships for karate; so it's like competing against the Ronaldo's and Messi's of karate, which is a pretty amazing experience in itself,” she was quoted as saying.
NAKU congratulated Pronk on her incredible achievement and for inspiring other Namibian athletes to pursue their dreams.
This year NAKU hopes to provide numerous opportunities for Namibian karatekas to participate internationally, in order for them to gather the necessary experience and develop their skills, as financial constraints are often still a deciding factor when it comes to international participation.
In 2018, Pronk represented Namibia at numerous international events including the Region 5 Karate Championships in Botswana, the Africa Karate Championships in Kigali, Rwanda, and The World Karate Championships in Madrid, Spain.
She was also one of seven Namibian karatekas to win medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Karate Championships in Durban, South Africa and ended the year by participating in her first Karate Series A event in Japan.
Nampa
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