Rebel Karate kids jetting off to Lisbon

Three Cork brothers have been selected on the Irish team for the World Karate Championship in Lisbon at the end of the month.

Breixo (9), Peter (8) and Rhys (5) Carlton-Villanueva are all members of the Bantry/Glengarriff FSKA club.

“I wanted to boost the self-esteem and confidence of the older lads, so they went off about two years ago to take up karate,” their mother Jane explained last night.

“Then the young fella, Rhys, wanted to follow what they were doing — he says that he now wants to become ‘a ninja’.

“What they have achieved is incredible. They all love it and are incredibly focused. Huge credit must go to their teachers — Sensi Les Elliott, Lynda Grace and Sue Cooper — who are doing tremendous work.”

She continued: “Breixo and Peter have been part of the club for the last two years and have been training very hard every week, while Rhys is only a member for about 12 months and is already on his orange belt.

“There will be hundreds of children and adults competing from all over the world in Lisbon, from places such as South Africa, Russia and USA. Breixo will be competing in the 9-10 years category; Peter is in the 7-8 category and Rhys features in the U6 category. They will be competing in the Kata and Kumite. This will be a great experience for the boys as not only are the representing Ireland but also representing Castletownbere.”

Bantry/Glengarriff FSKA club will have a strong representation in Portugal, with a number of adults also competing at the event.

The boys attend Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa primary school in Castletownbere, where they have become minor celebrities.

Principal Anne McNally said: “We are extremely proud of what the lads have achieved. We had a celebration last Friday in the school hall, which was a wonderful occasion. There is great excitement not just in the school but throughout the community. They are great role models and this all goes to show what perseverance and hard work can achieve.”