Compiled by C. ARUNO, MARTIN CARVALHO and R. ARAVINTHAN

       THE Melaka-based Okinawa Goju & Ryu Karate Association conducted a five-hour online karate workshop for students stuck in their homes, reported Makkal Osai.

       Association founder and trainer Shihan J. Manoharan said karate and other martial arts schools have remained closed during Phase One of the National Recovery Plan.

       While they do conduct regular classes online, this was a poor substitute for students coming together at the training centres with their friends and sparring buddies.

       With students also feeling increasingly restless and experiencing anxiety, the centre decided to conduct a full five-hour workshop online to give them a break from monotony and a mental boost.

       The students who took part in the workshop through Zoom on Sunday from 8.30am to 12.30pm were visibly happy and motivated during the workshop, said Manoharan.

       Even students from other karate schools joined in.

       The school will continue organising similar workshops to help students stay engaged, added Manoharan.

       The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.