{"id":92394,"date":"2024-12-16T12:48:41","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T12:48:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/world-champion-christophe-pinna-commits-to-uplift-rwandan-karate"},"modified":"2024-12-16T13:28:59","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T13:28:59","slug":"world-champion-christophe-pinna-commits-to-uplift-rwandan-karate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/world-champion-christophe-pinna-commits-to-uplift-rwandan-karate","title":{"rendered":"World champion Christophe Pinna commits to uplift Rwandan Karate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>Renowned French karateka Christophe Pinna on Sunday, December 15, signed a two-year agreement with local Karate governing body (FERWAKA) to help elevate the sport in Rwanda.<\/p>\n

The agreement was signed after a three-day technical seminar he conducted at the NPC gymnasium, underscoring his commitment to nurturing young talent in Karate.<\/p>\n

The agreement offers Pinna an opportunity to regularly upgrade his seminar programmes in Rwanda. He will provide technical support to the federation, helping to sharpen the skills of Rwandan karatekas and prepare them for higher levels of competition.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Pinna pledged to incorporate promising karatekas into his Elite Academy in France, creating pathways for them to compete on international platforms.<\/p>\n

Minister of sports Richard Nyirishema who attended the closing day of the session, commended Pinna and FERWAKA for the continued collaboration and expressed optimism about the potential to promote Rwandan karate on a global stage.<\/p>\n

Minister of sports Richard Nyirishema (C) poses for a photo with Rwanda karate federation president Damien Niyongabo (L) and Christophe Pinna (R) at the end of the latter’s seminar in Kigali. The minister later witnessed the signing of the agreement between Pinna and FERWAKA and commended them for their continued collaboration -courtesy<\/p>\n

Pinna, a celebrated figure in the world of karate, is a former World and European champion with a decorated career. He has been conducting technical seminars in Rwanda since 2022.<\/p>\n

During the just-concluded seminar, he lauded the progress made by Rwandan karatekas, highlighting the medals they recently won at the 11th Commonwealth Karate Championships in South Africa, and other continental championships, as a proof of their growing competitiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cRwanda has incredible talent. It\u2019s time to take their progress to the next level. I\u2019m proud of how far they\u2019ve come,\u201d said Pinna.<\/p>\n

Damien Niyomugabo, the president of FERWAKA, described having someone of Pinna\u2019s caliber leading the seminars as \u201ca privilege\u201d for Rwandan Karate and hopes the partnership will boost local athletes\u2019 performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis seminars are already bearing fruit as seen in our recent achievements on the international stage. This agreement represents a bright future for Rwandan karate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As part of the programme\u2019s achievements, national team captain Fiston Ntwari was recognized as the best performer in the recent competitions. Ntwari is set to represent Rwanda at a tournament in France, in January 2025, further solidifying the tangible benefits of the partnership.<\/p>\n

At 56, Pinna is a renowned name in the Karate world. He won the European Championship three times (1993, 1995 and 1997) on top of the claiming world championship in 2000.<\/p>\n

He also won the ‘Goblet of the World’ twice (1993, 1997), a medal at the Mediterranean Games in 1992 and the Mundo Equipos Championship three times (1994, 1996 and 1998).<\/p>\n\r\n