Gold for Mayo karate star at World Championships

Swinford karate star Maximillian Kucharzyk won a gold medal for WUFK Ireland at the 14th WUFK World Championships, which were held in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, on July 25 last, writes Patrick Hennelly.

In the WUFK (World Union of Karate-Do Federations) World Championships, a total of 26 competitors were vying for the prestigious gold medal. However, a resolute Maximillian won gold for Ireland, and he is now a world champion.

Maximillian, aged 12, took up the sport of karate four years ago and over the intervening years he has won an incredible 100 gold medals from various competitions.

It was a proud moment for Maximillian and his family to win the World title, as his father Wojciech explained.

“We are all very proud of Maximillian and his amazing achievement,” said Wojciech. “Maximillian was delighted with the victory, and he trains very hard for these events.”

Wojciech, originally from Poland, also competed in karate when he was a child. He explained the hours of dedication that Maximillian puts into the sport.

“Maxmillian is a member of T.S.K. Shotokan Karate Club, Ballaghaderreen, and I bring him to training in Ballaghaderreen three times a week. I also coach him at Swinford Amenity Park, and those extra hours of coaching also help him.

“Maximillian has defended his titles on numerous occasions over the years, and he enjoys competing in the various national competitions.”

He certainly has a bright future in the sport, and one suspects that he will be competing on the world stage for Ireland once again in the not-too-distant future.