Karate champion bound for inaugural European Games

IN just under a month, a star-studded Ireland team, led by Olympic gold medallist Katie Taylor, will compete in the inaugural European Games – an international multi-sport event backed by the National Olympic Committees of Europe – in Azerbaijan.

Among the strong Irish team travelling to Baku is Galway karate fighter Karen Dolphin, who will take part in the women’s Kata event. The addition of karate to the Games is a significant one, as Dolphin, the current national champion, hopes this is the first step towards karate becoming an Olympic event.

“It is a major step for karate because it has never had Olympic backing for a competition before and it is seen as a big step forward to getting karate into the Olympics [in Japan in 2020],” says the Laurencetown native. “So, it should make a difference to us. We would be funded. We would have more sports science, more help.”

At the moment, London-based Dolphin, who is home this week, is employed as a pharmacist in Camden and must balance her hours between work and training. It’s not easy, especially when you consider that some of the fighters she will be competing against – and, indeed, many of her Irish team-mates – are full-time athletes.

“It is quite intimating really. I am working in a pharmacy and I am sure they are all out training. It is a pity. Until you actually make it to a [major] competition, that is when you are given some funding and some help. I think more people would make it to this stage if they had more help beforehand, which would be great for karate.”

For Dolphin’s part, she is embedded in the sport. Her parents John and Marie, both black belts, have been involved in karate for years – first with Leo Mulvanny in Ballinasloe before opening up their own clubs in Laurencetown and Eyrecourt.

In addition, her brother Shane features regularly on the national team. “Unfortunately, there was only one spot on the team this time around. In the last two years though he has gotten more involved in the bigger competitions. He is 28 now, so he is at his peak or prime to do well,” she says.

At any rate, by the age of six, Dolphin was pleading with her parents to be brought along to classes. “By 12, I had gotten my black belt,” continues the 32-year-old. “From there, you get different levels of black belt and I am on my fourth – I am a fourth Dan now – and I have been practising for 26 years.”

After competing in various tournaments, eight years ago she won her first Ireland call-up. Since then, Dolphin, as a member of the Official National Amateur Karate Association of Ireland, has competed in five European and two World Championships along with competing at four World Championships for her own association Itosu Kai Ireland, winning three bronze medals.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.