The youngster has attended the previous two world championships in Dundee, Scotland in 2018 and Bratislava, Slovakia in 2019. The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Plettenberg Bay youngster Galliano Boni became world champion at the World Karate Championships in Romania.
Plettenberg Bay’s very own karate kid, Galliano Boni, has done it again: world champion.
The 11-year-old Greenwood Bay learner is heading back to his hometown as a world champion after taking part in the ninth Karate World Championships in Cluj-Napoca, Romania over the past weekend.
Following a few challenges, including that the competition was the first “live” event since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, the youngster showed the world his mettle by taking the top spot – in the world that is – in kata. He also shone in kobudo (weapons), where he earned a bronze medal. He was the only junior representing South Africa at the competition.
The youngster has attended the previous two world championships in Dundee, Scotland in 2018 and Bratislava, Slovakia in 2019. The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the pandemic.
This win is his 23rd championship title, but he describes it as the most prestigious and most difficult to achieve.
His father, Roberto Boni, said Galliano gave an unbelievable performance in Romania.
“Karate was the reason
“It was not about the medals, but about a big lesson that I have taught Galliano. No pain, no gain. And there was a lot of pain in the form of hours and hours of training. We literally lived in my car, in planes and hotels for the past two months, travelling the extremities of South Africa to prepare him for this day. There were many, many tears along the way. He wanted this so badly and he went for it.”
Galliano and Roberto are heading back to South Africa via Italy. They should arrive home on Wednesday next week.
we came. We leave being enriched in so many ways and knowing that we have more friends around the world. Thank you to the WUKF executive and all those who have worked so hard to make what seemed an impossibility only a few months ago, a reality,” he said.
He said the victorious day will go down as the most memorable in his life.’
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