The Karate New Zealand Team has ended an incredibly successful Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Championships campaign, leaving Birmingham with a haul of medals and exciting times ahead.

The Team of 19 won 22 medals, including 6 gold medals, 6 silver and 10 bronze and the most medals for one outstanding individual. There were 24 countries competing. 

Melissa Dunn from Christchurch led the way, winning a staggering 6 medals. 

Although Karate is an Olympic Sport, it has yet to become a Commonwealth Games Sport. The 10th Commonwealth Karate Championships followed the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham as the sport steps closer to its goal of Commonwealth Games inclusion. 

On the eve of the Championships, the event was sanctioned by the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Sport medals were utilised. 

A new coaching combination of Rebecca Merrifield and Binh Nguyen proved extremely successful as did a first time team leadership group of 5 ( versus 2 team captains ) and team  manager Lisette Wise. International Referee Dhammika Ariyaratna was appointed to the Championship Referee Council supported by NZ’s Referee Trevor Foster.

Article added: Tuesday 11 October 2022