The 47th BKK British Open-inc International Federation of Karate 15th Cup of Europe took place in Crawley this month and Laois were well represented.
This is one of the biggest karate kyokushin tournaments in Europe and it was an excellent day for Portlaoise Kenkyo Dojo.
Ireland was represented by 19 competitors, with 15 fighters from Kenkyo Dojo Portlaoise taking part.
This year, for the first time ever, the tournament was open to international participants from age 12 and above, bringing some of the top professional athletes from across Europe and beyond.
This year, 324 competitors from 33 countries took part in the event. The Irish Team got 3rd place in the general classification, which is an unbelievable achievement.
All the Portlaoise students trained hard and put in tremendous effort in their preparations, which paid off with fantastic results at the tournament.
Portlaoise Kenkyo Dojo was represented by:
- Senpai Muhammad
- Senpai Maryam
- Khadijah Khan
- Sophie Cahill
- Ben Ging
- Kacper Orlik
- Tomasz Calka
- Ibrahim Khan
- Justyna Wilk
- Kasper Wilk
- Samuel Schoenstaedt
- Antoni Kucma
- Luna Cardoso
- Nelly Jakimczyk
- Olivier Ilski
Coach Domo Arigato said: “All our competitors showed great determination and fighting spirit. Not everyone won a medal, but each of them displayed courage, the will to win, and the true spirit of Kyokushin.
“Some of us may have been just a little short of luck and precision, but everyone takes away valuable experiences and lessons for the future.”
Medal results at the 47th BKK British Open inc IFK 15th Cup of Europe:
🥇 Tomasz Calka – 1st place U-16 +70kg
🥈 Luna Cardoso – 2nd place U-12 +40kg
🥈 Sophie Cahill – 2nd place U-16 -55kg
🥈 Khadijah Khan – 2nd place U-16 -50kg
🥈 Olivier Ilski – 2nd place U-12 -45kg
🥈 Ibrahim Khan – 2nd place U-16 -65kg
🥉 Samuel Schoenstaedt – 3rd place U-12 -35kg
🥉 Antoni Kucma – 3rd place U-12 -45kg
Domo said: “As coaches, Senpai Patrycja and I are extremely proud of our competitors.
“We can see clear progress and growing confidence in each of you. We are truly happy and grateful to be able to train alongside you.
“We would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to all the parents, those who were present at the tournament, and those who supported us from home.
“Without you, training and travelling to competitions would not be possible. We are very thankful for your support, commitment, and the trust you place in us.
“Special thanks also go to the national coaches and everyone who helped during the event. It was truly a great performance from our dojo, you all showed the spirit of Kyokushin and strong team unity, supporting and cheering for one another throughout the day.
“Congratulations as well to the other IKK competitors, who also represented themselves brilliantly at the tournament:
Rachel Dunleavy (1st Place), Saorla Keeling (3rd Place), Aidan Keeling, and Dimitar Stoyanov.
“Also big thank you to the British Karate Kyokushin organisers for hosting such a great event.”
SEE ALSO – All the results and reports from Day 1 of the 2025 Cumann na mBunscol football finals
