The 2024 World Cadet, Junior & U21 Karate Championships kicked off in style at the Palazzo del Turismo in Lido de Jesolo, Venice, from October 9 to 13. This prestigious event has drawn a staggering 1,960 athletes from 113 nations, all competing across different age categories for a chance at world championship glory.
The competition is divided into two phases: eliminations from Wednesday, October 9 to Friday, October 11, followed by the highly anticipated bronze medal bouts and finals on Saturday and Sunday, October 12 and 13.
Day 1 Overview: U21 Eliminations
On the first day, eliminations took center stage in the U21 categories, setting the stage for thrilling finals over the weekend. The performances in both Kata and Kumite were electrifying, with several countries securing multiple finalists and medal prospects. Here’s a breakdown of the day’s standout moments and key matchups heading into the finals.
U21 Kata: The Battle for Precision and Grace
• U21 Kata Female:
In the women’s Kata category, a thrilling final awaits between Sato Kotomi (Japan) and Garcia Lozano Paola (Spain). Both competitors demonstrated impeccable technique and deep focus, advancing smoothly through their elimination rounds.
The bronze medal contests will feature Gamova Natasa (Slovakia) against Cardoso Leticia (Brazil) and Manca Chiara (Belgium) facing Donofrio Orsola (Italy). Each of these athletes showcased strong performances, setting up exciting matches for the bronze.
• U21 Kata Male:
The men’s final will see Hrcka Roman (Slovakia) take on Vu Anthony (Sweden). Both athletes displayed an impressive combination of fluidity, power, and precision in their movements.
For the bronze medals, Lueck Aidan Randall (Germany) will face Elmowafi Abdelrahman (Egypt), while Ishikawa Taiga (Japan) will go head-to-head with Ziad Youcef (Algeria), promising intense competition.
U21 Kumite: Explosive Power and Strategy on Display
The U21 Kumite events delivered fierce competition across multiple weight categories. Here are the finalists and bronze contenders:
• U21 Kumite Male -60 kg:
The final will pit Abdelmalki Amin (Belgium) against Kilic Nuri (Turkiye), two highly skilled fighters who navigated the eliminations with a mix of tactical acumen and explosive strikes.
For bronze, Youssef Mohamed (Egypt) will face Miri Yassin (Canada), while Timmer Eric (Switzerland) will go up against Dorta Janco (USA).
• U21 Kumite Male -67 kg:
In this weight class, Omara Adel (Egypt) will clash with Akhmedov Akhmed (Individual Neutral Athletes) in the final. Both athletes exhibited superior speed and strength in the elimination rounds.
The bronze bouts will feature Goncalves Guilherme (Portugal) vs. Astarita Raffaele (Italy) and Stepanov Artur (Latvia) vs. Oezdemir Muhammed (Germany).
• U21 Kumite Male -75 kg:
Yurur Omer Faruk (Turkiye) and Farag Youssef (Egypt) will face off in a highly anticipated final.
For bronze, Assemat Hugo (France) will compete against Pitsul Heorhii (Ukraine), while Sulamanidze Ika (Georgia) battles Nurlanov Nazim (Kyrgyzstan).
• U21 Kumite Male -84 kg:
The final showdown between Aljafari Mohammad (Jordan) and Osman Omar (Egypt) promises to be intense, with both fighters demonstrating excellent control and striking ability throughout their elimination rounds.
The bronze medal matchups will see Pezzotti Gabriele (Italy) against Alzahrani Anas (Saudi Arabia) and Abe Yosuke (Japan) facing Moraitis Nikolaos (Greece).
• U21 Kumite Male +84 kg:
Bostandzic Anes (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Avanzini Matteo (Italy) will compete in the final, with both fighters bringing powerful offensive strategies.
For bronze, Sekot Nikolai (Germany) takes on Stojanovikj Stefan (North Macedonia), and Nofal Yousef (Jordan) faces Gutierrez Marques Borja (Spain).
U21 Kumite Female: Dominant Performances Lead to Exciting Finals
• U21 Kumite Female -50 kg:
Ishihara Mizuki (Japan) will square off against Sgardelli Ema (Croatia) in the final after a day filled with sharp exchanges and tactical brilliance.
In the bronze matches, Naghibeiranvand Yalda (Iran) will battle Dourai Rim (Morocco), while Sergaieva Valeriia (Ukraine) faces Tsaneva Teodora (Bulgaria).
• U21 Kumite Female -55 kg:
Saeidabadi Fatemehzahra (Iran) will fight Elhawary Menatallah (Egypt) for gold in this category, with both athletes dominating their eliminations.
Bronze matches will feature Samasheva Bella (Kazakhstan) against Kvasnicova Nina (Slovakia) and Yahiaoui Kenza (Algeria) against Chokprasertgul Sirikamonate (Thailand).
• U21 Kumite Female -61 kg:
Semenenko Anastasiia (Germany) and Tolba Rahma (Egypt) will meet in the final, while the bronze matches will see Snajder Darija (Croatia) vs. Lobato Sanchez Iona (Spain) and Webb Iris (Australia) vs. Sipovic Emina (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
• U21 Kumite Female -68 kg:
The final will be between Kurtes Marina (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Sombe Thalya (France).
In the bronze medal contests, Golombos Nikolina (Croatia) will face Coman Maria Cristina (Romania), and Pergolesi Asia (Italy) takes on Fleischer Dora (Hungary).
• U21 Kumite Female +68 kg:
The gold medal bout will feature Iushkova Daria (Individual Neutral Athletes) against Bao Bednarski Sophie (Sweden).
Bronze matches include Golombos Nikolina (Croatia) vs. Coman Maria Cristina (Romania) and Pergolesi Asia (Italy) vs. Fleischer Dora (Hungary).
Medal Prospects by Country
With such a wide range of countries represented, several nations have strong medal prospects across multiple categories. Japan and Egypt have dominated the U21 categories so far, with athletes advancing to the finals in both Kata and Kumite. Other countries like Slovakia, Germany, and Italy also feature prominently in the upcoming finals.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to follow this thrilling competition, leading up to the weekend’s bronze medal bouts and finals!