Karate: Uganda comes top in Congo

KAMPALA. When Léonard Were retired from rugby, little did he know that he would end up joining a completely different sport-Karate.
But being a son to the Late Maj. Gen. Francis Nyangweso, arguably one of Uganda’s most revered sportsmen and administrators, could have played a role.
After all, juggling sporting tasks has never been a problem in the Nyangweso family.
In January, Were joined Karate and the journey has been a gruelling but satisfying one so far.
Last week, he was part of the five-man team that won the first East and Central Africa Kyokushin Karate Championship held in Kinshasa, DR Congo. The team was tutored by Sensei Fujihiko Ishihara. Were, Abbey Nsubuga, Shigeru Kawachi and Derrick Bengo were the fighters.
Nsubuga and Were won gold and bronze, respectively, which handed Uganda the overall trophy. Nicknamed ‘Zeus’ during his rugby days, Were has hit the ground running.
“It has been a tough journey. I’ve been training five days a week and I have lost 13kg. Along the way, I have gained endurance, power and mental strength,” he opens up.
The significance of the tourney was to improve the skills of Karatekas in the East and Central Africa region and prepare them for the international open tournaments in Japan, next year.
And with such a promising performance, the team believes they are now at par with their regional counterparts, since countries like Gabon, Tunisia and South Africa failed to honor the invitation.

Future aspirations
Consistent appearances at such tournaments is key in the progress of individual players, according to Ishihara. In July, their dojo (gym/team), under Ishihara, sent Bengo to an Open championship in Cape Town but he got eliminated in the preliminary rounds.
Ishihara has been at the forefront of coaching and spreading the sport. A Japanese national, he has been here for 15 years and his dream is to give the future generations a dream in their lifetime, which, he says, will give them hope to live positive lives.