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National karate training is coming to Inverness for the first time





Karate Alba sensei Dolina Ross
Karate Alba sensei Dolina Ross

Karate in Inverness has made a major breakthrough as a national training session will be held in the city for the first time thanks to a local sensei.

The Scottish Karate Governing Body (SKGB) have announced it will be running Regional National Kata Pool Training in Inverness after almost four decades of campaigning by Dolina Ross from Karate Alba.

The event will take place at the Inverness Gaelic School on Saturday, March 17 when the top Scottish Kata Athletes from the central belt will travel up to Inverness to take part in training.

Ross said the event being held in Inverness recognises the success of karate athletes in the city and has fought hard to bring training sessions from the central belt to up north.

“For 35 years we have tried to get the Scottish Karate Governing Body to run events in Inverness,” she said.

But previously they didn’t want to do anything outside the Central Belt.

“I put on the table we could run a training session in Inverness as other sports have regionalised squad training so why can’t we do the same.

“Even though it will be just run as a trial, I was delighted when they approved it.

“We have managed for two years to go to Renfrew where we have had travel long distances to have the same opportunity as karate athletes from the Central Belt.

“I have always felt that was unfair on our students.”

“So to have this event in Inverness is a major achivement for karate here.”

Scottish national kata coaches will lead the session will consist of athletic training, karate specific games as well as focussing on improving absic

Ross is a fifth dan black belt sensei who runs Alba Karate in the city and is also a coach for the Scotland Karate squad.

She is a 12 time Scottish champion and four time British champion where she has reached the top 10 in the world.

She regularly travels down to Inverness with students to Renfrew to take part in national level training.

Ross said the acheivements of karate atheltes in recent years qualifies for the training event to be brought north for the first time.

We should have the same opportunites as we are part of the Scottish Karate Governing Body as well.

inverness karate student Andrew Sloss has been crowned Scottish Junior Kata student of the year.

Cara Petrie is celebrating a bumper year of karate contest wins.

And her Karate Alba fighting squad, who competed at the Scottish National Kumite (Fighting) Championships in Ravenscraig, also savoured success in the recent tournament.

Petrie (nine), of Karate Alba, won through many rounds at the SNKC Championships at Ravenscraig near Motherwell to win a silver medal.

She won every round by a huge margin and was described by her coaches as “fighting like an international class athlete” until she was narrowly beaten in the final by just one point.

Petrie has enjoyed an amazing year in the sport with taking double gold at the Scottish National Kata Championships, then silver and bronze at her first Scottish International. She also collected bronze at the British International, against competitors from 15 countries and has now scooped a silver medal at the Scottish National Kumite Championships.

Leigh Gause has won Silver in Scottish Nationals and Silver in Scottish Grand Prix Demi.

Leigh Rennie has won bronze in Scottish Nationals with Andrew Sloss winning Silver in Scottish International, Bronze in British Internationals and Bronze in Scottish Grand Prix Thomas Fearns - Bronze in Scottish Nationals, Bronze in Btitish Internationals and Silver in Scottish Grand Prix Chris Piras - silver and bronze in Scottish National and International championships (seniors) Aidin Donaghue - bronze in Scottish Nationals (cadets) Sophie Howarth - bronze in Scottish Nationals (senior).


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