Ireland was represented at the 2009 Dutch Open Karate Championships recently when a 13-person Official National Amateur Karate Association of Ireland (ONAKAI) squad - accompanied by head coach Derek Desmond and ladies coach Paul Brennan played at the Topsportcentre in Rotterdam.

The two day event is one of the major tournaments nominated as part of the selection process for the forthcoming 2009 European Karate Championships which takes place in Zagreb, Croatia. As the Open is one of the top rated competitions in Europe it was a good outing for the Irish athletes. It also gave coaches the chance to assess the potential of the individual squad members and their ability to compete at the major international tournaments which are upcoming this year.

Both Desmond and Brennan were pleased with the overall performance and encouraged by the progress being made by the squad. "The commitment shown by our 3 British based athletes to travel and meet up with the rest of the squad emphasizes the desire that is there to represent their country", Desmond remarked. Another pleasing aspect of the trip was the support that was given to the younger squad members by those who had attended similar type tournaments previously.

"From the coaches point of view it was a valuable exercise in formulating opinions regarding the selection process. However, we still need to build on the number of athletes who are capable of competing at this level", Desmond added. The actual results may not always tell the full story as some fighters lost in the first round. "It can be a cruel sport when you lose by one score or by "hantai" (a decision made by the referee when a tie cannot be broken)", Brennan said.

Gareth Flynn and Ronan Flynn won their first round bouts 3-0 and 4-3 respectively, as did Emily Geraghty who recorded a fine 2-0 decision. Those who exited in round one included: Vincent O'Hora (0-1), Karen Delphin (0-3), Sorcha McCorry (0-2), Paul Brennan (1-2), Mark Kenny (3-6), Mark Carolan (0-1), Martin McCord (0-2), Ian Hamilton (0-6), Ciaran Noone (1-5) and Gordon Smyth (3-6). Later in the second round Gareth Flynn lost out on a 0-3 scoreline as did Emily Geraghty, while Ronan Flynn lost by hantai.

Desmond concluded "On behalf of the ONAKAI may I take this opportunity to thank all the club instructors, parents, executive members and team managers for all the effort and dedication that has gone into preparing these young athletes to represent our country on the world stage. It�s a privilege to be involved with such a dedicated group of young people".