With Karate’s Olympic Future Uncertain, Sakura Kokumai Eyes Strong Showing At Pan Am Games
Kokumai, a 2020 Olympian, will go from the world championships in Hungary right to Chile for the Pan Am Games.
Athlete Bio#
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Hometown
Honolulu
Quick Facts
- I started karate when I was 10 years old
- This is my first time making the team!
- What I love about competition is the "on top of the world" feeling you get after a major win, and the camaraderie that goes along with being successful
- My biggest win was winning gold in open Kumite at the European Karate Championships in Malta, in October 2018. Shortly before this competition, I had moved to Hawaii, switched dojos so I was still adjusting to the new things I had learned in my kumite training. Also, to win gold I had to fight a long time rival of mine, that I had never beaten before. So not only did I win the division, I beat my rival by a sizable margin - by 8 points. Definitely something I will never forget.
- "What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn't be?"
