Smithers’ Shogun Dojo has added to its collection of martial arts accolades, with several competitors from Team Canada bringing home medals from the WKU (World Kickboxing Union) World Championships in Rhodes, Greece, held in October.
Representing Canada, Shogun Dojo athletes achieved standout performances on the international stage, securing a gold, a silver, and three bronze medals.
Tareq Abu Khadra won gold in the pointfighting category for competitors over 18 in the <70 kg division. Callie Lancaster claimed a silver medal in the light contact <70 kg category, while Scotia Lancaster earned a bronze in team pointfighting. Justice Lancaster rounded out the medal haul with two bronzes, one in light contact for the >65 kg category and another in team events.
Reflecting on the dojo’s success, coach Karim Abu Khadra expressed pride in the athletes’ achevements, particularly given the rigorous international competition.
"I'm proud of those who placed," he said, adding, "even those who didn’t place still tried their hardest."
He noted the dedication and hard work it takes to compete at this level and shared his appreciation for the team’s success.
"I’m very surprised—seeing how much dedication is put into training and just how it turns out because you never know what's going to happen in these types of events."
Shogun Dojo’s other representatives also showcased strong efforts, including Karim Abu Khadra himself, who narrowly missed advancing in the pointfighting <75 kg category by a single point. Leo Drydyk competed in both light contact and pointfighting, delivering memorable moments even without a podium finish. Remington Raven was unable to participate due to an injury.
This year’s WKU World Championships gathered participants from more than 70 nations, with over 20,000 competitors demonstrating skill and discipline in various martial arts categories. WKU Canada, a branch of WKUWORLD, organizes the Canadian team’s participation in this annual event, which has become a hallmark of international martial arts competition.
Reflecting on what lies ahead, Karim Abu Khadra shared the dojo’s ambition to bring an even larger team from Smithers to next year’s championships, aiming for more victories and further world titles.
