Evans mines silver at Commonwealth Karate Champs

Fourteen-year-old Rasandre Evans, dubbed the ‘Karate Kid’, won a silver medal at the 2024 Commonwealth Karate Championships in Durban, South Africa on November 29.

Evans competed in the elite 14/15 -57 kg category where South Africa’s Brendan Engelbrecht took gold while India’s Honey Soni and Vishal Amradi Reddy shared the bronze medal.

Jamaica Karate president, Sei Shihan Tony Robinson, said he is very pleased with the results.

“This is a wonderful result and I am not surprised. Rasandre is ranked number 22 in the world and he has performed very well consistently for the past two years. I am certain he will keep flying Jamaica’s colours high for many years to come,” Robinson said.

While Evans competed in South Africa his compatriots Sheaquan McKenzie, Khalil Shattok, Cheye Ann Amelia and Khalil Gordon, Heather Campbell and Nicola Hazle attended a karate training camp in Panama organised by Centro Caribe Sport.

Robinson said this training camp is vital to the development of the young athletes and he expressed gratitude to the President of Centro Caribe Sport Luis Mejia Oviedo, the President of Panama’s Karate Federation (PKF) Eduardo Frias, PKF’s Technical Director Tony Mesa, and the full support of the Pan American Karate Federation and its president Dr. José Garcia Maafiön for the continued efforts to develop karate in the Caribbean.

“Jamaica Karate is also thankful to the leadership of the President of the Caribbean Karate Federation, José Luis Ramirez, for his constant efforts to support the growth of karate in our region, and to the great world champions from our continent, Douglas Brose of Brazil and Antonio Diaz of Venezuela who lead the training camps in Panama,” Robinson said. “The Jamaica Olympic Association’s leadership of President Christopher Samuda and Ryan Foster has also provided support and encouragement to our organisation and they really value our athletes. We are grateful for that and will continue to work hard to bring more international karate success to Jamaica.”