The 2024 World Cadet, Junior & U21 Karate Championships continued with the Saturday morning session at the Palazzo del Turismo in Lido de Jesolo, Venice. This session was highly anticipated as the Cadet athletes took center stage, competing in both bronze medal matches and finals across Kata and Kumite categories.
Cadet Kata Finals: Display of Skill and Precision
The Kata divisions offered some of the morning’s most technical and composed performances. Young athletes showcased their mastery of form and movement, captivating the audience with their precision and grace.
• Cadet Kata Female Final:
The gold medal bout in the Cadet Kata Female category was between Mai Quynh Anh Nguyen (Vietnam) and Ito Wakana (Japan). Both competitors displayed remarkable precision, but it was Nguyen from Vietnam who secured the title with her flawless execution.
The bronze medal matches saw Vaucelle-Spelle Ninon (France) take on Manca Giulia (Belgium), while Sanchez Isabella (USA) faced Lehner Tamara (Austria). After a hard-fought contest, both France and the USA walked away with well-earned bronze medals.
• Cadet Kata Male Final:
In the male division, the final match featured Hamazawa Takeru (Japan) versus Koc Tarik (Turkiye). Hamazawa’s striking display of fluidity and power won him the gold, reinforcing Japan’s strong tradition in Kata.
The bronze medal matches were equally competitive, with Mateus Vasco (Portugal) defeating Zhao Jens Chun Kiu (New Zealand) and Freda Matteo (Italy) edging out Ellithy Adam (Egypt) to claim third place in their respective contests.
Cadet Kumite Finals: Intensity and Tactical Mastery
The Kumite finals provided the crowd with fast-paced, action-packed bouts, where athletes demonstrated their fighting prowess in weight categories ranging from -47 kg to over 70 kg.
• Cadet Kumite Female -47 kg Final:
Vincic Jana (Serbia) faced Oda Rinri (Japan) in a thrilling final. Oda’s tactical efficiency and swift counters helped her claim the gold for Japan, while Vincic took home a well-deserved silver.
In the bronze medal matches, Fernandes Ema (Portugal) overcame Hefner Zsofia Agnes (Hungary), while Balanescu Ioana (Romania) defeated Afifi Malak (Egypt) in closely contested bouts.
• Cadet Kumite Female -54 kg Final:
Hnes Mariia (Ukraine) secured the gold in the -54 kg category, outclassing Kraczaj Wiktoria (Poland) in a tense encounter. Hnes displayed both defensive discipline and offensive sharpness.
Scarfone Morgane (France) and Boyadzhieva Adriana (Bulgaria) claimed bronze, after defeating Djukic Katarina (Montenegro) and Goncalves Leonor (Portugal), respectively.
• Cadet Kumite Female -61 kg Final:
Elmorsi Nourhan (Egypt) clinched the gold after a spectacular battle with Ecchili Graziella Annael (Italy), whose effort earned her the silver medal. Elmorsi’s combination of agility and striking power proved too much for the Italian.
For the bronze, Soendergaard Hannah Bath (Denmark) and Rejraji Yasmine (Belgium) took home third place medals, defeating their respective opponents, Ozturk Gulen Irmak (Turkiye) and Petrenko Alina (Individual Neutral Athletes).
• Cadet Kumite Female +61 kg Final:
Bsharat Mariam (Palestine) made history by winning gold, overcoming Mohamed Roaa (Egypt) in an intense final. Both fighters were evenly matched, but Bsharat’s persistence and determination saw her edge out her opponent.
Bronze went to Kurtanovic Ajlin (Bosnia and Herzegovina), who defeated Corredu Nicole (Italy), and Juarez Martinez Valeria Linett (Mexico), who triumphed over Milovanova Valeriia (Individual Neutral Athletes).
• Cadet Kumite Male -52 kg Final:
In the male division, Arafat Abdulrahman (Saudi Arabia) faced Viechkanov Maksym (Ukraine) in the -52 kg final. Arafat’s tactical prowess and speed secured him the gold medal.
Bronze went to Amandurdyyew Gurbannazar (Turkmenistan) and Tekuev Alim (Individual Neutral Athletes), who outperformed Nascimento Leonardo (Brazil) and Namyslik Felix (Germany) in their respective bronze medal matches.
• Cadet Kumite Male -57 kg Final:
Alharasees Hatem (Jordan) triumphed over Yagura Kabu (Japan) to win the gold medal in the -57 kg category, demonstrating an impressive balance of offensive and defensive skills.
In the bronze contests, Apicella Carmine (Italy) and Plichta Bruno (Slovakia) claimed third place, overcoming Rios Garcia David (Spain) and Lambert Leo (France), respectively.
• Cadet Kumite Male -63 kg Final:
The -63 kg final featured Mostafa Mouaz (Egypt) versus Flores Ortiz Jorge Damian (Guatemala), with Mouaz winning the gold after an aggressive yet tactical performance.
Todorovic Filip (Luxembourg) and Dangelo Fabian (Venezuela) secured bronze after defeating Birac Nikola (Croatia) and Zoueini Rayan (Belgium).
• Cadet Kumite Male -70 kg Final:
In a hard-fought -70 kg final, Saljiu Jusuf (Montenegro) overcame Tommasino Almerico (Italy) to win gold. Saljiu’s swift counters and well-timed strikes set him apart.
Bronze went to Fontana Lisandro (Argentina) and Albargawi Bader (Saudi Arabia), after victories against Gundogdu Eymen Doruk (Turkiye) and Gad Ali Alaaelden (Egypt).
• Cadet Kumite Male +70 kg Final:
Albargawi Amro (Saudi Arabia) faced Chiba Arashi (Japan) in the final, with Albargawi securing the gold. His size and power gave him the edge over Chiba, who took silver.
Bronze medals went to Hasib Sameer (England) and Oiffe Lenny (France), who defeated Kanibek Sungkar (Kazakhstan) and Kobelev Ilia (Kyrgyzstan).
Saturday Morning Medal Table and Analysis
After this intense morning session, it is clear that several nations have established themselves as dominant forces in the Cadet divisions:
• Japan continues to show its strength in both Kata and Kumite, consistently reaching finals and securing medals.
• Egypt and Saudi Arabia are also emerging as powerful contenders, with athletes securing multiple spots on the podium.
• Italy, the host nation, performed exceptionally well, especially in Kumite, giving the home crowd plenty to cheer for.
• Countries like Portugal, France, Ukraine, and Serbia also demonstrated their depth, with several athletes winning or contending for medals.
With the afternoon and evening sessions yet to come, the competition is far from over, and many more nations will be vying for their place on the podium.
Conclusion
The Saturday morning session of the 2024 World Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships delivered thrilling contests and outstanding displays of talent from young athletes. The energy in the Palazzo del Turismo in Lido de Jesolo was palpable as fans witnessed the future stars of karate compete at the highest level.
Stay tuned for more updates from the afternoon and evening sessions as the championships continue to unfold!