KARACHI, Sept 30: The sixth National Women Karate Championship is scheduled to be held from Oct 8-10 at the Women’s Sports Complex, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Karachi.

Jointly organised by the Pakistan Karate Federation and Sindh Karate Association, the championship would be organised in seven categories of Individual Kata, Group Kata and Komite.

The co-organiser of the mega event, Waseem Hashmi said that besides defending champion — Wapda, Pakistan Railway, Police, Pakistan Army, Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan and Islamabad will participate in the championship.

He said that this is first time that corporate sector (Pizza Hut) is sponsoring the National Karate Championship to encourage women’s sports in the country.

He said that the championship was previously scheduled to be held from Aug 2-4, 2010 at the same venue but due to poor law and order situation in Karachi the organising committee had to postpone the event.

He informed that panels of referees, judges, technical affairs committee would be announced soon.

There would be preliminaries of Team Kata, Individual Kata, Kumite above 61 kg, below 55kg would be held on the opening day while the opening ceremony and finals will be held on Oct 9.

Preliminaries for Kumite below 50 kg, Team Kunite finals, Kumite Below 45kg and prize distribution will be held on Sunday, Oct 10.

The fifth National Women Karate Championship was held in Hydrabad in March 2009 and Wapda won the event by securing five gold, one silver and two bronze medals.—Agencies