WHEREAS, BRADLEY NISHIBATA is a 15 year old youth from Aiea who is a 2^nd degree black belt and has been taking karate for over ten years; and

WHEREAS, BRADLEY NISHIBATA qualified for the Junior USA National Team by placing first at the 2004 National Championships, which were held in New Orleans, Louisiana, in July; and

WHEREAS, the United States took a team of 46 athletes, including BRADLEY NISHIBATA, to Chile for the Junior Pan-American Karate Championships, which were hosted by the Chilean Karate Federation in Santiago, Chile in 2004; and

WHEREAS, about 20 countries from North, Central, and South America participated in the highly competitive event, including the United States, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela; and

WHEREAS, on September 3^rd, 2004, BRADLEY NISHIBATA became the first male from Hawai`i to win at the Junior Pan-American Karate Championships; and

WHEREAS, BRADLEY NISHIBATA was the only U.S. male to win a gold medal in this competition, and was one of only three competitors from the United States to capture a gold medal, beating the national champions of Brazil, Mexico, and Bolivia en route to the gold medal; and

WHEREAS, LEONARDO PAGAMPAO, JR., the son of Leonardo Pagampao and Valanda Maduli, is a fifth grader at Aiea Elementary School, where under the direction of Principal Art Kaneshiro, the school creates and environment "where dreams begin"; and

WHEREAS, on January 20, 2005, LEONARDO PAGAMPAO, JR. saved his choking classmate; and

WHEREAS, LEONARDO PAGAMPAO, JR. successfully performed the Heimlich Maneuver after observing the health procedure on television; and

WHEREAS, LEONARDO PAGAMPAO, JR.'s quick thinking saved the life of his classmate; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, that the House of Representatives commends and congratulates BRADLEY NISHIBATA's historic athletic achievement; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives commends and congratulates LEONARDO PAGAMPAO, JR.'s for his life saving actions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives offers its aloha and best wishes to both BRADLEY NISHIBATA and LEONARDO PAGAMPAO, JR. in all of their future endeavors.

Report Title:

BRADLEY NISHIBATA and LEONARDO PAGAMPAO, JR.; honoring