PENARTH Leisure Centre was the venue on Sunday, February 22 for the ninth and final Welsh Karate League (WKL) tournament of the season.

Throughout nine tournaments, beginning in April 2014, Wales’ top clubs and top Karate athletes have been locking horns to battle for the ultimate title’s of Welsh Karate League’s Champions of Champions.

The number of clubs joining the league has grown consistently and this season has been by far the biggest and most successful yet, with well over 1000 unique entries from almost 60 clubs across Wales and the UK.

Vale Karate has led the way throughout, and over the course of the season has won a record 105 gold medals, 94 silver and 139 bronzes.

At the finale Vale Karate was declared Champion Club courtesy of their new record score of 1589, second were newcomers St Pats with 614, just four points ahead of Cwmafan Bushi-Kai on 610.

Kloe Christoforato, 14, was the most successful individual, just ahead of Charlotte York, 15, of Kansei Karate Schools.

Leah Copeland 20, was in third place overall, and the most successful adult having won eight of the nine Ladies Kata events and three Ladies Kumite titles.

Kloe has had a phenomenally successful season. She was individual champion in both Under-14 Advanced Kata, where club mate Josh Dwyer was second and in the Under-16 Shotokan Kata where the runner-up was Vale Karate’s WUKF Under-12 European Kata Champion Chiara Baker.

Kloe was also a member of the winning Under-14 team alongside Josh and Harrison Williams and with her mum Heidi took the Parent and Child Kata title, being unbeaten all season in that event.

She visited the Champion of Champions Podium for a fifth time when she earned second place overall in the Under-14 Girls Kumite, the title going to Trinity Hutchinson of WKJK based in Penarth.

In total Vale Karate collected 14 Champions of Champions trophies as well as a further 22 second and third placed over the 39 categories.

The new season starts in May, and is set to be even bigger and better continuing to reinvigorate Karate in Wales.

Vale Karate’s final results:

Special Needs Kata Under-14 Champion - Bradley James, 2nd Lucas Widdrington, 3rd Connor Ashill

Special Needs Kata 14+ Champion - Poppy Parritt, 2nd Asa Madsen

Parent & Child Pairs Kata Champions - Heidi and Kloe, 2nd Giulia and Chiara, 3rd Pippa and Chris

Junior Pairs Kata Champions - Vale Panthers

Junior 8-15 Shotokan Kata Champion - Kloe Christoforato, 2nd Chiara Baker

Under-10 Children's Team Kumite Champions - Finnian, Leigha and Rhydian

Under-14 Children's Team Kumite Champions - Josh, Kloe and Harrison

Under-10 Advanced Kata Champion - Griff Hughes, 2nd Ella Lyons

Under-10 Advanced Boys Kumite Champion - Finnian O'Donovan

Under-8 Mixed Kata Champion Gregory James

Under-12 Advanced Kata Champion - Chiara Baker

Under-14 Advanced Kata Champion - Kloe Christoforato, 2nd Josh Dwyer

Ladies Kata Champion - Leah Copeland

Ladies Kumite Champion - Amy Davis, 2nd Leah Copeland

Under-8 Boys Kumite - 2nd Iolo Goddard

Under-16 All Grades Kata - 2nd Emma Squire, 3rd Alexandra Slack

Under-16 Girls Kumite - 2nd Emma Squire

Under-12 Children's Team Kumite - 2nd Vale Samurai 3rd Vale Warrior

Under-10 Novice Boys Kumite - 2nd Rhydian Pullin, 3rd Sam Stacey

Under-10 Girls Kumite - 2nd Leigha Goddard

Under-14 Advanced Boys Kumite - 3rd Josh Dwyer

Under-14 Girls Kumite - 2nd Kloe Christoforato

Men's Veteran Kumite - 3rd Rory O'Donovan