The Diponegoro University (Undip) Karate Team achieved a proud achievement. Undip Karate Team won 4 (four) gold medals, 3 (three) silver medals, and 1 (one) bronze medal at the 2023 Gadjah Mada Open Karate Championship, which was held June 2-4, 2023, at the GOR Pancasila Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Yogyakarta.
The Undip Karate team that won gold medals included Farizal Wahyu Adika (Faculty of Law) in the Senior Men’s Kumite +84 KG category (Best of the Best), Detrina Sabda Nugraha (Faculty of Social and Political Sciences) in the Senior Men’s Individual Kata category, Riskiando Charlos Rihulay (Faculty of Law) in the Senior Men’s Kumite -84 KG category, and Alvito Naufal Akbarsyah (Faculty of Law) in the Men’s Kumite Student Festival -84 KG category.
Furthermore, Undip Karateka, who won silver medals, included Yodi Amara Jati (Faculty of Public Health) in the Female Senior Kumite -55 KG category, Aisya Yudiana Dewi (Faculty of Social and Political Sciences) in the Female U21 Kumite +68 KG category, and Fatchiatuz Zahra (Faculty of Social and Political Sciences) in the Female Senior Kumite -68 category. KG Putri. Then the bronze medal was won by Meidina Riani Putri (Faculty of Law), Sahzanan Sarah Safira (Faculty of Social and Political Sciences), Fatchiatuz Zahra (Faculty of Social and Political Sciences) in the Female Senior Kata Team category.
The success of winning these medals must have been through careful preparation. The head of the Undip Karate team, Hery Candra, revealed that the trial included daily practice at the Student Center for 1 (one) week before the competition started. In addition to group training, there are exercises to maintain physical strength and increase athletes’ confidence and self-confidence to beat their opponents.
“We don’t have much time to practice together due to the tight time of lectures and practice that often did not match. However, we always try to be able to practice together, and sometimes we practice at night too. On the day approaching the match, we are more physically guarded. The main thing to do is to increase confidence and self-confidence to beat opponents. In addition, we must know the purpose of participating in the competition. I am very confident in the abilities of the competing Undip athletes. We are very confident in participating in the 2023 Gadjah Mada Open Karate Championship,” explained Hery Candra, Undip Karate Advisor and Lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities.
This event is also the initial stage in preparation for the selection for the formation of the Central Java team in the upcoming National Student Sports Week (POMNas), as well as a tryout event for athletes who will compete in the Central Java Provincial Sports Week (PORPROV) in August.
The 2023 Gadjah Mada Open Karate Championship is a championship organized by UKM Inkai UGM. Through this championship, the younger generation, as nation builders, can train and uphold the values of sportsmanship, decency, fighting spirit, and modesty. This championship can also be a place for achievement and to give birth to athletes who are the pride of Indonesia.
