Ashburton Courier: May 06, 2021

www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Tayla sets big
karate goals
MICK.JENSEN
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz
AshburtonCollege student
Tayla Davidsonis
continuing to impress on the
karate mat andhas come
away with three medals from
the recent Karate New
Zealand Open.
Tayla won gold in kumite
(fighting) and silverinkata
(techniques )inthe 14/15
years girls’ premier division
and also silver in team
kumite in the 14/17years
event.
Thetournament was her
first sincelockdownand
afterwards she attended a
two­daynationaltraining
camp in Christchurch.
The14­year­old trains out
of KofukanKarate,
Christchurch, and was a
blackbelt by the age of 12.
Tayla’s dad Greg said she
had hersights on the
Oceanias in New Caledonia
later this year, but that event
was verymuch in doubt
because of thecovid
situation.
Anumberofotherevents
were scheduled aroundNew
Zealand over the coming
months, including in
Auckland, Christchurch and
Dunedin.
Looking further ahead, his
daughter was hopingto
attend the Junior World Cup
in Turkey in 2022.
‘‘She’s stayed passionate
about thesportthroughout
all thecovid stuff.
‘‘Shedid two or three
months of Zoom training,
which was abit different,
andincludedlinking up with
agroup inIreland, of all
places.’’
Tayla,who livesatRakaia,
travels up to Christchurch
for trainingtwice aweekand
up to five times when sheis
nearing abigger event.
She startedthe sport of
karateassix­year­old and
represented New Zealand at
the World Karate
Federation youth training
campinCroatia in 2019,
where shefinished fifth
equal in kata.
In the same yearshe won
national kumitetitles in the
12/13 years age group at the
NewZealandOpenand
national tournaments and
finished sixth at the GKR
Karate World
Championships in the UK.
Right: Tayla Davidson with
medals from the recent
Karate New Zealand Open.
PHOTO SUPPLIED
SPORT
Ashburton Courier, May 6, 2021
27
Pickleball
forges ahead
Mid Canterbury pickleball players are
testingtheir skills in afive­week
autumntournament.
The tournament is being run on
Tuesdaynightswith 16 of the top
playerscompeting in amixed
competition as teams. It started on
April 20.
Pickleball Ashburtonorganiser
Ruben Garciasaid it wasafriendly and
social crowd thatenjoyed playing the
sport, though they were highly
competitive.
“Pickleball in Mid Canterbury has
grown dramatically over thepast two
years,and playersare looking for more
competitive opportunities.
“Introducing seasonal five­week
tournamentevents will meet this
demand and help further develop our
players and teams that canrepresent
Mid Canterbury at national tournament
competitions.”
The Autumn MixedTournament
winds upthe same week of anational
tournamentinAuckland, where14
playersfrom Ashburton are scheduled
to compete.
In June, Pickleball Ashburton will
also hostadoubles five­week
competition,scheduled to wind up
right beforethe Mid CanterburyWinter
Classic, anational pickleball
tournament that attracts the top
pickleball players from allover New
Zealand.
“These mini local tournament events
are intended to prepareour players
and teamsfor bigger national events
where MidCanterburycan be very well
represented,” he said.
The paddle sport combines elements
of badminton, tennis and table tennis.
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