National competitors emerge from Saint-Laurent karate club

This is a special year for Saint-Laurent’s Kio Karate Club. The dojo is sending five athletes to compete on Team Québec at the National Karate Championships in Richmond, B.C., this January.

Between 2000 and 2005, five star pupils played for the team. In recent years, they’ve had two pupils per year qualify, but a new generation of karate kids are changing that. “[Making the team] is a huge challenge and I’m really proud of them,” said trainer, Alexandre Sita, who has been with the club for 25 years, and taught for the last 15.

“It’s extremely difficult. The last few years the level in Quebec has gone up considerably, and the popularity of the sport has grown.”

To qualify, the athletes grappled for points in competitions in October, November and December.

“They’re already training but this is going to be even more difficult physically and mentally. They’re six weeks away from competition, so we’ll be training during the holidays as well,” said Sita.

Camil Eid is a 20-year-old competitor who has been studying karate for 15 years. This is his third time making the provincial team and he was relieved to be back this year. “I like playing on the Quebec team because it gives me the chance to compete with high-level athletes,” he said.

“I always train with high-level athletes in my club, but when you go to Karate Quebec, you’re training with the best in the province. It gives you a chance to improve . . . You find weaknesses you didn’t know you had before.”

Last year, Eid placed second in the U-21 category, and hopes for gold this time.

Aïman Benkhadra is also competing for the third time, and has studied for ten-and-a-half years. “It’s a huge opportunity, it opens a lot of doors. We train with Team Quebec coaches who have a lot of experience. It’s very enriching,” he said.

Resilience is a big challenge for Benkhadra. “If you’re having a bad day, you have to stay awake. It doubles your challenge because you have to focus on karate, and yourself. Everyone is good, what’s important is what’s going on in your head.

Joannie Levesque has been studying karate for 12 years, since she was eight-years-old. This is the first year she qualified for Team Québec at the competitive level. When she was selected, she wasn’t exactly surprised. The competitor in her category was ill, therefore Levesque gained points by default.

She’s nervous to be participating in the nationals now, but not because she’s afraid of losing. “I’m nervous to not do well,” she said. “For myself, and for others.”

Eid, Benkhdra and Levesque will be joined by Abdelmonem Osman, 20, and Yamina Lahyanssa, 13, at the Nationals in Richmond, B.C. January 29-31.