APR wins Kigali City Open Karate Championship first edition (Photos)

Rwandan Army Karate Team, APR Karate Club, wins first-edition of Kigali City Open Karate Championship.

The Army’s martial art team, has emerged as the overall winner of the inaugural Kigali City Open Karate Championship by collecting seven Medals.

Held for the first time, this competition took place on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the Golden Gala Gymnasium in Kicukiro District, Kigali City.

Organized under the leadership of the Karate sport in the City's Zone, the tournament attracted nearly 100 Karatekas for both male and female, from 10 clubs across the country.

APR Karate Club claimed the championship by collecting a total of seven medals, including two gold, two silver, and three bronze.

They were followed by Sinzi Karate Do Academy with two gold medals.

The third place goes Police Karate Club and Zanshin Karate Academy respectively. Both clubs secured four medals each (one gold, two silver, and one bronze).

After claimed the title, APR Karate Club’s coach, Sensei Mbarushimana Eric, spoke to the media by saying that:“I am proud of how the players gave their all. The team wasn’t at full strength because some of our key players are currently with the national team preparing for the African Championship.”

“Every player of APR Karate Club understands that being on the team is not by chance, that mindset is what gave us victory. Although no team is ever to be underestimated in Karate, The Great Warriors team really challenged us. Winning this title by beating them made the victory even sweeter”, He added

The competition was attended by Niyongabo Damien, President of the Rwanda Karate Federation (FERWAKA), said that clubs independently organizing tournaments instead of relying on the Federation, is a promising sign for the sport’s growth in Rwanda.

“For us, we were very pleased with how this competition turned out. It was well organized and beneficial to both players and organizers. We encourage other clubs across the country to organize such competitions so that, ideally, we can have at least one tournament every month, and not just in Kigali. Even when the tournaments are club-led, it is our role as the Federation to support them. We will continue doing all we can to expand Karate in Rwanda, in the region, and globally”, He added

Sensei Nkurunziza Claude, known as Maître Gasatsi, who is Karate coordinator in Kigali, said they were satisfied with the participation, especially for the first edition. He promised even greater turnout in future events.

“Even though this was the debut tournament, we were impressed by the level of participation. The Karatekas showed high performance, and the use of technology in refereeing added value”, He added

“We’ve started working toward bringing Rwandan Karate to the international level, including monetizing events. As you saw, this event was ticketed — proving it’s possible — and we intend to keep it going.”

During the competition, Maître Sinzi Tharcisse was honored for his significant role in promoting Karate in Rwanda.

Medal standings:

1. APR Karate Club – 7 Medals
2. Sinzi Karate Do Academy – 2 Medals
3. Zanshin Karate Academy – 4 Medals
4. Police Karate Club – 4 Medals
5. Zen Karate Club – 2 Medals
6. Kamikaze Karate Do – 2 Medals
7. Flying Eagles – 2 Medals
8. Shisei Karate Do Club – 2 Medals
9. Hero Karate Do Club Rafiki – 2 Medals
10. The Great Warriors 
11. Kigali Karate Academy 

As part of its development strategy, the Rwanda Karate Federation has launched regional "Zones" to help Karatekas access more tournaments closer to them.

Photos

Niyongabo Damien, President of the Rwanda Karate Federation

Sensei Nkurunziza Claude

APR Karate Club’s coach, Sensei Mbarushimana Eric