Boran Berak

Polish Open in a few sentences….

When my father told me that we were going to Poland for a competition, I was a little suspicious about the level of organization of the tournament and karate quality. But my father always has a final word, so we went to Bielsko Biala. Long trip, but the weather was sunny so the time passed quickly. We arrived at Bielsko Biala at the time of dinner. When I entered the hotel, I immediately realized that the level of tournament organization was very high. Lots of judges with WKF and EKF licenses were there, also lots of karatekas from all around Europe were sitting at hotel reception. Lots of positive vibes coming from all these people. The day after started the competition and everybody looked so relaxed.

Saturday was the competition day for me… when we arrived in front of the hall, we realized that it was not a tournament like any other in the eastern part of Europe. A big, new sports hall was looking great from the outside, as well as from the inside. Arena looked great, six tatamis, lots of stands with equipment and stands of sponsors of the tournament.

There were a lot of space for warm-up, and what is more, the schedule of the competition was just according to the timetable, perfect for us competitors. I competed in two categories. I had 5 fights, with competitors from Wales, Egypt, Scotland and Poland. I won a competition in the senior category, but I lost in the U21. No matter that fact I lost, Polish Open deserved my respect for its great organization, and strong karate competition. I am sure that I am coming back in Bielsko Biala. See you there in October, my dear karate friends.

Best regards,
Boran Berak