The sporting spotlight will shine on Angus this weekend when young marital artists bid for Scottish success.
For the first time, Forfar is hosting the Japan Karate Association World Federation Scottish Junior and Cadet championships.
They take place at Forfar Community Campus on Saturday and will see young competitors travel from as far as Wick to Angus.
It is the association’s first national championship since the pandemic and a rare visit outside Glasgow.
Sensei’s pride
So the opening ceremony will be a proud moment for Brothock Shotokan Karate Club chief instructor Billy Wales.
Now 61, Billy has competed at World and European level.
He founded Brothock Shotokan in 1985 and it remains a thriving club, with dojos in Arbroath and Forfar.
Black belt 5th Dan Billy said: “To bring it to Angus after all these years in Glasgow is great for the area.
“The kids’ resilience throughout the pandemic has been great and I think folk are appreciating clubs like ours.
“We will have a squad of around 40 competing.
“For many it will be their first time, so it is quite a thing for them to be able to do it at Forfar.
“We’ve a total entry of around 120 including other clubs from across the central belt, Perthshire and Wick.
“Forfar Community Campus is an ideal venue for the event.
“Angus Alive have been brilliant to work with in organising it.”
He hopes the event may even inspire others to consider the sport.
Adults and kids karate classes are now enrolling at the Forfar campus and Brothock Shotokan’s own dojo at East Grimsby, Arbroath.
Billy can be contacted on 07713 161103.
Busy summer of sport
Ross Taylor of Angus Alive said: “Brothock Shotokan Karate are one of a number of clubs in Angus affiliated to our community sport hub network, which helps clubs to inspire and encourage more people to build confidence, improve health and wellbeing and become more active through sport and physical activity.
“The opportunity to showcase one of our local clubs like this is an exciting one.
“We are delighted to open up the event to spectators free of charge to encourage people to come along, feel inspired and hopefully consider karate as one of the many pathways to a healthier, more active lifestyle here in Angus.”
The youngsters will even have a black belt bagpiper playing at the opening ceremony when the event kicks off at 10am.
Montrose’s Sandy Johnstone didn’t take up the sport until he was in his 60s and is still training regularly more than a decade later.
The junior Scottish event in Angus is a warm up to Dundee taking centre stage at a global level when the world karate championships come to the city in July.
They generated almost £10 million when last staged there in 2018.
And Angus has another big sporting date to look forward to when the A92 plays host to the UCI Cycling World Championships’ Gran Fondo time trial in August.
