Karate team capture Intervarsity Perpetual Cup

IN his first year as team captain and coach of DCU Karate Club, Swinford's Aaron McLoughlin and his team have recorded a historic win for DCU by winning the Intervarsity Perpetual Cup for the first time at the Karate Intervarsity Championships held in GMIT.

Aaron is a member of the national karate team, ranked number 1 in Ireland, and is the highest ranked Irish competitor within the World Karate Federation.

As a DCU elite sport scholar, and sport science and health student, he has been working closely with the DCU Sports Development Service as an effective leader and representative of DCU Karate Club.

Through his international competition experience and success, Aaron was nominated as DCU karate team captain and coach of the club. Aaron was captain of a squad of 14 athletes who competed in the intervarsity championships. The DCU team won a total of 31 medals, which includes DCU now holding five intervarsity titles.

The intervarsity championships is the most important competition in the DCU karate calendar. This year saw the highest number of competitor entries. It is a prestigious tournament which attracts national team competitors and regional coaches.

The outstanding achievement of DCU Karate Club is due to Aaron and his leadership in implementing his wealth of international experience as an athlete and sharing his competition expertise with the students of DCU.

Aaron has broken all records from this event as it has been the most successful performance by a DCU karate team since its establishment in the college over 40 years ago.

The achievement has gained the interest of DCU president Prof. Brian MacCraith who formally addressed DCU Karate and Aaron at a celebratory reception held by the university's Sports Development Service.

Aaron continues to coach the DCU team as well as being an active member on the committee which further aids the development and promotion of the club.