Karatekas defending the national motto “Ordem e Progresso” in the 2016 Karate Pan American championships being held this week in Rio de Janeiro will be aiming to show their local fans that Brazil is home to some world-class Karate heroes.

Karatekas defending the national motto “Ordem e Progresso” in the 2016 Karate Pan American championships being held this week in Rio de Janeiro will be aiming to show local fans that Brazil is home to some world-class Karate heroes.

The goal of the 30-some selected athletes to wear the yellow and blue flag in the event in Rio de Janeiro will try to give home fans reasons to celebrate while improving the tally of 15 medals achieved in the 2015 edition of the tournament.

In the tournament celebrated in Toronto in 2015, Brazil finished in second position of the final standings with a tally of three gold, three silver and nine bronze medals. Douglas Brose, Wellington Barbosa and the Female Team Kumite were crowned as the big winners of the Brazilian delegation in the competition.

Now, a year later, the powerhouses of the home team have prepared thoroughly to live a memorable tournament in Rio de Janeiro, on the city where the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will be celebrated barely two months after the Karate continental championships.

Douglas Brose leads the hopeful local squad

Karate Star Douglas Brose – who interestingly bears a tattoo of the Olympic rings in his right calf – spearheads the Brazilian delegation in Rio de Janeiro. The 30-years old idol defends the continental crown in Male Kumite -60kg after earning gold in the 2015 championships following his victory over USA’s Brandon Malone in the final. The world ranking leader aims to claim his third consecutive Pan American title in the iconic Brazilian city. 

Meanwhile, Wellington Barbosa also hopes to win back-to-back victories in Male Kumite +84kg. In the 2015 edition of the event, the 25 years-old Karateka from Brasilia beat Ecuador’s Franklin Mina to sign his biggest success thus far; in Rio de Janeiro Barbosa will try to repeat victorious path to glory in front of family and friends.

World ranking runner-up Vinicius Figueira will also act as local hope in the contest. The 2014 World Championship bronze medallist attempts to improve his fifth position in the 2015 edition of the championship while increasing his tally of gold medals this season after his victory in Karate 1-Premier League in Salzburg.

In women’s categories, one of Brazil’s biggest star will be Valeria Kumizaki. The Bronze medallist in the 2015 Pan American championships contributed to the victory of the Female Kumite Team in Toronto and now the world ranking runner-up in Female Kumite -55 Kg hopes to succeed at home ground.  

2014 Pan American champion Isabela Rodrigues in Female Kumite 68+ kg;  2015 Pan American Championships bronze medallists Natalia Spigolon and Bianca Mafra in Female Kumite -68 kg and Edemilson Dos Santos in Male Kumite -60 Kg are among the Brazilian hopefuls in the competition which will start on Thursday morning.

Click here for more information on the 2016 Karate Pan American championships.

Follow the action of Pan American Karate Championships on WKF Social Media. Karate fans are invited to participate in the excitement using the hashtag #RioKarate2016.