Nicky's off on mission to Malaysia

Whangarei's Nicky Roberts will head to Malaysia next month to attend to some unfinished business at the World Under-21 Karate Championships.

Nineteen-year-old Roberts was the sole Northland karateka selected for the New Zealand team to contest the World Under-21 Karate Championships, in Melaka, Malaysia, from October 20-23.

Her selection in the Kiwi team caps off a superb year of competition for her. Roberts is the current Oceania senior woman kata champion, the current NZ senior woman kata champion, the current Sugihara International Cup senior woman kata champion, the current Commonwealth Under-21 woman kata champion and the current Commonwealth senior woman kata silver medallist.

Coach Bob Dalton said she was no stranger to top level success, with many medals - mostly gold - that she has earned through the years, firstly in age group competition and recently, in senior competition.

"Nicky has been training in karate for 10 years and always stood out, even as a nine-year-old. Her determination and drive in her sport, even through some bad injuries, has marked her progress and I have witnessed her drive take her to the top through some tough times, but as Nicky says 'she has unfinished business in karate'."

Roberts has been fortunate to have trained under a friend of her coach, seven times world team kata champion Yukimitsu Hasegawa, who has produced three world champions.

Dalton has brought Hasegawa to New Zealand every year since 2004 and Roberts has trained with him during the visits since 2006.

"Hasegawa stated if Nicky was coached carefully and continued to train hard, she had the potential to one day be a world champion - and he should know, having been one himself," Dalton said.

The New Zealand team leave for Malaysia on October 8, and return on October 21. Roberts is doing five sessions a week aiming to peak in time for the competition. Combine this with her gym cross training sessions and the study required for her Sport and Recreation course at Northtec, it leaves little time to herself. However, world championships are the ultimate level for karate competition, with just one competitor per country per division.

Roberts' competition will be fierce, but she has high hopes of a strong performance.

"She is looking very good at the moment, carrying no injuries and whatever her result, it will not be for lack of effort and she will represent Northland and NZ with pride."