Members of the CINKA team who competed in the 2025 Suzuki Cup in Dallas, Texas, including Luke Brendel, Cosette Brendel, Chloe Grace Apreutesei, Lucas Jackson, Victoria Carvalho, Matthew Power, Coach Patrick Brendel, Michael Webster Jr., Julia Romano, Jax Alberga, Jefferson Jacob, and Sarah Hydes.
A group of Cayman Islands karate athletes secured 8 medals in a high-level tournament sanctioned by USA Karate.
The 2025 Suzuki Cup drew hundreds of athletes to compete in Dallas, Texas on Saturday, December 6.
Cayman was represented by a team of 11 athletes, who won 4 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals during the competition. The team’s age ranges from 5 years old to adults, and included Cayman’s para karate athlete who took home a gold in his division.
“We’re extremely proud of the Cayman Islands team, who ended the year with their best collective performance to date. This is the biggest team we’ve brought to any single competition in our program’s history. Congratulations to all of our athletes and a big thank you to the parents and our supporters,” said Patrick Brendel, coach of the Cayman Islands National Karate-Do Association (CINKA).
The Suzuki Cup featured competitors from the highest levels, including top athletes who represent Team USA.
On the Friday before the event, 3 Cayman athletes participated in an elite kumite (fighting) seminar led by Team USA Captain Tom Scott, who is an Olympian and world champion. The same day, 2 other teenage Cayman athletes participated in a Coaching Course led by Dustin Baldis, the Head Kumite Coach for Team USA.
Here are the medal results for Cayman athletes in the Suzuki Cup:
• 5 & under Boys/Girls Beg Kata
○ Apreutesei, Chloe Grace - GOLD
• 14-15 Boys Advanced Kata
○ Power, Matthew - BRONZE
• 14-15 Girls Advanced Kata
○ Romano, Julia - GOLD
• 16-17 Boys Advanced Kata
○ Jackson, Lucas - GOLD
• 16-17 Girls Advanced Kata
○ Carvalho, Victoria - SILVER
• 16- 34 Senior Men’s Elite Kata
○ Jackson, Lucas - BRONZE
• 16- 34 Senior Women’s Elite Kata
○ Carvalho, Victoria - BRONZE
• Para Karate Intellectually Impaired 12 - 17 yrs
○ Jacob, Jefferson - GOLD
CINKA is the recognised governing body for the sport of karate in Cayman, and is a member of the Caribbean Karate Association, Pan American Karate Federation, Commonwealth Karate Federation and the World Karate Federation (WKF).
Under the global governing body WKF, karate is a competitive sport in the Pan American Games.
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