Zaskia Putri Salurante defeated fellow Indonesian Cheisya Aurelia Kristanto (Photo WKF)
The Karate One Youth League in Manila started with an exciting first day as young athletes delivered strong performances in the first cadet and junior finals.
Competitors from the United States, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Georgia, WKF-1, and Saudi Arabia reached the top of the podium on a memorable opening day in the Philippines.
Junior Kata Male
David Martin Davila of the United States claimed the gold medal in Junior Kata Male after a close final against Raimu Koike of Japan. Davila secured the victory by a narrow 3-2 score in one of the most competitive matches of the day.
Junior Kata Female
Indonesia celebrated gold in Junior Kata Female as Zaskia Putri Salurante defeated fellow Indonesian athlete Cheisya Aurelia Kristanto by a clear 5-0 score. Zaskia controlled the final from the start and impressed the judges with a confident and clean performance.
Cadet Kumite Male -52kg
Muhammadrashid Abdulatipov of Uzbekistan won the Cadet Kumite Male -52kg title after a tense final against Renat Emzeev of WKF-1. With the match ending 0-0, the winner was decided by hantei, with the judges awarding the victory to Abdulatipov after a tactical contest.
Cadet Kumite Male -57kg
Levani Dadeshkeliani of Georgia earned the gold medal in Cadet Kumite Male -57kg by defeating Insar Akhmadiyev of Kazakhstan 2-0 in the final. The Georgian athlete produced a disciplined performance and controlled the bout to secure the victory.
Cadet Kumite Male -63kg
Maksim Myshev of WKF-1 captured gold in Cadet Kumite Male -63kg after beating Mohammed Harbi of Saudi Arabia 2-0. Myshev remained focused throughout the match and successfully defended his advantage to stand on top of the podium.
Cadet Kumite Female -47kg
Sarah Al Sumaih of Saudi Arabia won the Cadet Kumite Female -47kg category with a 3-1 victory over Lily Heran of Australia. Al Sumaih delivered an energetic performance and scored important points early in the contest to take the title.
Cadet Kumite Female -54kg
Presley Allen of the United States finished the day with gold in Cadet Kumite Female -54kg after defeating Ioana Balanescu of Romania 4-0 in the final. Allen displayed speed and accuracy in attack to complete a dominant performance and secure the second title of the day for the USA delegation.
