Zara Thompson wins silver for Donegal at European karate championships

Donegal karate ace Zara Thompson secured a silver medal at the WUKF European Championships.

The 16‑17 year‑old competed in the team shobu sanbon kumite event, alongside teammates Beibhinn McCole and Boguslawa Stroiwas, and the trio finished second.

The competition was held at the Canon Medical Arena in Sheffield, England, where the Irish side overcame an English team, Romania and Slovakia to reach the final, before being beaten by England who took gold.

Thompson was one of five members of the North West Shotokan Karate Club to represent Ireland. Fellow club member Tom Monaghan won gold in the kya below kata (12 years) and bronze in the 11‑12 years team kumite, while Lucas O’Donnell earned bronze in the 18‑20 years team kumite. Brody Black and Ryan Monaghan also took part in the championships.

Source: Donegal Daily. Photo: Alexa Popovich / Pexels.