Jamaica Karate is this month set to send its first ever delegation to the XXXI U21 Pan-American Karate Championships, set to take place in Mexico City in Mexico from August 22 to August 28.

Twenty-one national sport federations have entered their best youth athletes to compete for the continental title.

It’s expected to be an exciting debut for Amelia Stephenson, Shafan Leslie and Rasandre Evans, who will compete at their first Junior PKF Championships and the first for the Jamaica Karate Federation (JKF). They will be going up against competitors from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Following the tournament, the Jamaican athletes will also participate in an international training camp organised by Panam Sports and the Pan-American Karate Federation – a first of its kind. They will train for 10 days at the Mexican Olympic Training Center, along with internationally renowned coach, Salah Mesnaoui of Belgium and some of the best international athletes in their weight and age categories.

This competition and training camp aligns with the Jamaican federation’s long-term strategic goal to expose its youth athletes to more international tournaments and training with an aim to improve competition readiness for key qualification events preceding the 2026 Youth Olympic Games and the 2028 Olympic Games.

The JKF said it was working in unison toward a vision aiming to put Jamaican karate on the world map.

This initial step has been supported by the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), the Sport Development Foundation, McKay Security and CEO Jason McKay.

The athletes will be supported by senior national team members Khalil Gordon and Valentyna Zolotarova, who attained their international coaching licences at the Senior Pan-American Championships last year.

Zolotarova also attained a WKF coaching licence at the 2021 World Championships in Dubai and has served in the role of technical coordinator since being awarded a Qualification of Distinction in the Post-Graduate Program in International Sport Management at the University of London in June 2022.

This achievement has been considered a testament to the kinds of opportunities that are made available to members of sport federations affiliated with the JOA.

As a member of the JOA member, Zolotarova received a full scholarship from the Commonwealth Games Federation and the World Academy of Sport.

In addition to the achievements of Jamaican youth karate-ka, JKF Vice-President Keith Edwards will also make history as the first judge to attend a Pan-American Championship on behalf of Jamaica Karate.