The 2025 World Senior Karate Championships, held for the first time on African soil, will go down in history not just for its historic location, but also for crowning a new wave of world champions. Hosted from November 18 to 23 at the Cairo International Stadium Sports Hall, the event showcased incredible performances, emotional victories, and raised serious questions about the competition’s new format.
A Landmark for African Karate
Egypt made history as the first African country to host the WKF World Championships. The Egyptian Karate Federation, supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, delivered a well-organized event in a venue befitting the world’s best. The symbolic significance was not lost: Africa is ready to play a central role on the global karate stage.
A New Generation Rises
According to the WKF, the 2025 edition witnessed a generational shift, as rising stars dethroned established names in several categories. Young champions from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East made their mark, showing that a new chapter of global karate is being written.
Names like Kakeru Nishiyama (JPN) in Men’s Kata, Afif Ghait (JOR) in Kumite –67kg, and Thalya Sombé (FRA) in Women’s Kumite –68kg are just a few examples of emerging talent stepping onto the world stage.
Full Medal Summary – Individual Categories
| Category | Gold | Silver | Bronze (×2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s Kata | Kakeru Nishiyama (JPN) | Alessio Ghinami (ITA) | Enes Özdemir (TUR), Ariel Torres (USA) |
| Men –60 kg | Eray Şamdan (TUR) | Islam Selmani (KOS) | Hiromu Hashimoto (JPN), Christos Xenos (GRE) |
| Men –67 kg | Afif Ghait (JOR) | Said Oubaya (MAR) | Rashidov (UZB), Amirali (KAZ) |
| Men –75 kg | Mamdouh Abdelaziz (EGY) | Andrii Zaplitnyi (UKR) | Harutyunyan (ARM), Sharafutdinov (RUS) |
| Men –84 kg | Youssef Badawy (EGY) | Hasan Arslan (TUR) | Aljafari (JOR), Kvesić (CRO) |
| Men +84 kg | Matteo Avanzini (ITA) | Saleh Abazari (IRI) | Soufyani (KSA), Kudzinau (BLR) |
| Women’s Kata | Grace Lau (HKG) | Maho Ono (JPN) | D’Onofrio (ITA), Hesham (EGY) |
| Women –50 kg | Gulshan Alimardanova (UZB) | Shahmalarani Chandran (MAS) | Bahmanyar (IRN), Salazar (VEN) |
| Women –55 kg | Akhdam Youssef (EGY) | Nina Kvasnikova (SVK) | Abouriche (ALG), Terliuga (UKR) |
| Women –61 kg | Atousa Golshadnezhad (IRN) | Li Gong (CHN) | Mahjoub (TUN), Kanay (KAZ) |
| Women –68 kg | Thalya Sombé (FRA) | Michelle Fonseca (PUR) | Velozo (CHI), Zaretska (AZE) |
| Women +68 kg | Johanna Kneer (GER) | Sofya Berultseva (KAZ) | Walters (ENG), Kidonaki (GRE) |
A Demanding Format: Athletes Speak Out
While the sporting level was outstanding, many athletes voiced criticism over the new competition structureintroduced in Cairo. Unlike previous editions where individual categories were completed in one or two days, the 2025 format spread matches over multiple days for those reaching the later stages.
A typical journey for a finalist looked like this:
- Day 1 (Thursday): Round-robin qualification pools
- Day 2 (Friday): Round of 16
- Day 3 (Saturday): Quarter-finals and semi-finals
- Day 4 (Sunday): Bronze medal bouts and finals
This created mental and physical challenges for athletes, who had to stay focused, warm, and competition-ready over 3 to 4 non-consecutive days.
Key issues raised:
- Loss of rhythm due to long breaks between matches
- Repeated warm-ups and recoveries, increasing fatigue
- Logistical and mental strain of re-focusing each day
Some coaches and competitors suggested that a more condensed schedule—such as finishing individual events over two consecutive days—would be more athlete-friendly and fair.
Host Nation Triumphs
Egypt celebrated a historic tournament both as organizer and competitor:
- 3 gold medals, the highest tally by any country
- Strong showings in both men’s and women’s divisions
- Huge crowd support in Cairo, especially for national stars like Youssef Badawy
Looking to 2027: Format in Question
The WKF has not yet confirmed whether this new multi-day format will remain in place for the 2027 edition. However, the athlete feedback coming out of Cairo suggests that revisions are needed to balance performance, recovery, and spectacle.
One thing is certain: the 2025 World Karate Championships showcased a generational shift, a passionate host nation, and the growing pains of evolving formats. As the sport continues to globalize and modernize, listening to the athletes remains more crucial than ever.