Evans brothers mine four medals in karate including two golds

Jamaica's Rasandre and Valentino Evans walked away from the Puerto Rico Karate Open Championships with four medals, including two golds, on Sunday, June 14.

Fifteen-year-old Rasandre earned three of those medals by claiming a gold and a silver. He claimed gold in the 14-15 years Kumite +57kg category with victories over Puerto Rico's Abdiel Mercado (5-0) and Thiago Robles (3-0).

As part of his long-term development and preparation for international competition, Rasandre also competed in the older 16-17 years division, earning silver medals in both kumite (-68kg) and kata. In the kumite final, he delivered a strong performance in a closely contested 6-5 match against Puerto Rico's Ricardo Rivera, one of the world's top-ranked athletes in the junior (16-17 years) -68kg division.

"I'm very proud to represent Jamaica, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my experiences with young people. I still have a lot to learn and a lot more to accomplish, and I'll continue working hard to make my family and Jamaica proud," said Rasandre.

His brother, 14-year-old Valentino, captured gold in the 14-15 years kata division. On his way to the title, he showcased remarkable versatility by performing goju-ryu suparinpei, ryuei-ryu anan dai, and shotokan enpi, winning all three matches by unanimous 3-0 decisions.

Jamaica Karate Federation President Tony Robinson welcomed the results.

"This competition was an important opportunity to measure progress and identify adjustments for the final phase of preparation," Robinson said. "The medals are encouraging, but the most valuable outcome is the information gathered to guide training over the next two months,” he said.

“The performances showed that the athletes are moving in the right direction as we continue preparing for the Junior Pan American Championships.”

Robinson also thanked the Jamaica Olympic Association for its ongoing support to develop the sport among Jamaicans.