9th State Senior Karate Championship: Deia Urs wins gold

Deia S. Urs, a I PUC student of Vidya Vardhaka Sangha Golden Jubilee Pre-University College, won Gold medal in the Senior Female Individual Kata Category at the 9th State Senior Karate Championship held at Jain University, JC Road, Bengaluru on Friday last.  The championship was organised by Akhila Karnataka Sports Karate Association (AKSKA). Around 200 participants took part in the tournament which was divided into two categories— 16 years and above Kata (male & female) and 18 years and above kumite.  Kumite was further divided into 7 weight categories for men and 6 weight categories for women. New WKF rules was followed in the championship. Deia Urs in the quarter-finals defeated Pragati Pai 5-0 and in the semi-finals she defeated G.K. Shreedevi by the same margin. In the finals, she beat B.H. Nayana 5-0 to clinch the Gold medal. Deia is the youngest girl from the State to represent Karnataka at the KAI Senior National Championships. She is the only girl representing Karnataka in the Individual Female Kata at the 2018 Senior National Championships. 14 Karatekas including 5 women and 9 men will represent the State at the Karate Association of India Senior National Championships to be held at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indoor Stadium in Kolkata on Jan. 13-14, 2018. Deia Urs, who has 2nd Degree KAI Black Belt, is presently trained by her father B. S. Srinath Urs. Both practice under Shuko Kai Shito Ryu Karate Do India head Sensei E. S. Kumar and All India Shito Ryu Karate Do Federation President and KAI Vice-President Shihan C. S. Arun Machaiah.