Last night, in the gardens of the Villa Masséna, one of Nice’s most iconic athletes was honored as he deserved by the International Karate Federation, which awarded him the title of 7th dan, ten years after receiving the 6th dan.
This prestigious recognition was hailed by the Mayor of Nice, who was present at the ceremony and a long-time supporter. He emphasized, “The ‘Pitchoun’ of Saint-Sylvestre is the only international expert recognized by both the world’s karate federations: the WKF and the WUKF,” before thanking him “for all the emotions conveyed and shared.”
A well-deserved recognition for an accomplished athlete who has spread the influence of his sport in France and around the world, first as a champion, then as a teacher, and as an ambassador, as evidenced by his achievements.
Born in Nice in 1968, Christophe Pinna started practicing martial arts at the age of 5 with the Nice Elite Sports club. Driven by his ambition to become the best karateka in the world, he won the French Junior Champion title at the age of 17, before becoming the 1986 Military French Champion and both French and European Junior Champion.
He now boasts a long list of achievements: 6-time French Champion; 2-time French Cup winner; 2-time Mediterranean Games winner; 6-time European Champion; 2-time World Cup winner; 4-time World Champion and the All-Category World Champion in 2000.
In the coming October, he will step back into the ring for a new challenge: to claim the world professional karate belt in Dublin.
However, his “real” challenge, as he himself confirmed while recounting his personal life associated with his sports career in the presence of his loved ones, will be to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics. Indeed, when one is a champion, nothing should be off-limits, even goals that seem like dreams!
