Mother Achieves Gold at Karate World Championships

A mother secured a gold medal at an international karate competition, an event where her daughter also made her debut. Bianca and Cyra Webb, residents of Blaby in Leicestershire, represented England at the Japan Karate Association (JKA) World Championships, which took place last month. The 42-year-old Bianca secured the title of veteran women’s world kumite champion, while Bianca, 17, narrowly missed a spot in the top 16 among 80 participants. Both mother and daughter trained at the Kazokudai dojo located in their village. Bianca characterized her gold medal victory as “a surreal feeling”. The mother and daughter had both been chosen to compete for England in 2020; however, the competition was subsequently cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Bianca, who serves as the chief instructor at the Kazokudai dojo, an establishment she founded in 2021, expressed that she feels “very proud and honoured” to hold the title of world champion. She further stated, “It’s been a lot of hard work and commitment.” Regarding her daughter’s accomplishments, Bianca remarked, “I am more than proud because the world stage is a special event because we’re all there.” She elaborated, “Everyone is the best of their country or the best four of their country.” “So for Kyra to have just missed out on top 16 on her first try out is absolutely amazing,” she concluded. Cyra, who serves as an assistant instructor at the dojo and offers karate lessons to children, participated in the cadet girls category. Cyra commented, “To be able to watch and sit there and see my mum do that was insane.” She continued, “I managed to fight my way through three rounds and just missed out on top 16.” “So for my first ever world championships, I’m over the moon,” Cyra expressed. Bianca stated she was “super proud” to have observed her daughter’s competition and remarked, “hopefully that’s not the first and last one.” For updates, follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp at 0808 100 2210. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.