The World University championships are taking place in the mother earth of Karate. From July 19th to 22nd, Kobe hosts the best karate students ready to win the ultimate title.After this first day of competition, Japan placed 5 karatekas in the finals over 6 categories.
By Florian Fournier
Photos : K-Photos
Today, technicians and light categories entered the mats. With many famous karatekas on the WKF Senior circuit, the competition was high and, unsurprisingly, we find the favorites in the finals or the bronze matches. Japan qualified 5 athletes to the finals, among them Natsuki Shimizu, Kiyou’s little sister, and Horiba Yuhei, medalist in K1, in Kata, and Miho Miyahara in the -50 kg division. Turkey’s Samdan Eray, U21 European Champion last February, is also qualified to the final.
Finals :
Male
-60 kg : Samdan Eray (Tur) / Albasher Saud (Ksa)
Bronze : Kanagasingam Kajith (Fra) / Rohner Lucas (Sui) and Pampaloni Mattia (Ita) / Meskini Ali (Ira)
-67 kg : Nakano Soichiro (Jap) / Donofrio Francesco (Ita)
Bronze : Parczewski Micahl (Pol) / Cuerva Mora Raul (Esp) and Rahimi Mehdi (Ira) / Kalajdjic Stefan (Aus)
Male : Horiba Yuhei (Jap) / Shahrjerdi Abolfazi (Ira)
Bronze : Goktas Emre (Tur) / Chen Chao-Ching (Tpe) and Busatto Matia (Ita) / Galan Lopez Sergio (Spa)
Female
-50 kg : Miho Miyahara (Jap) / Gu Shiau-Shuang (Tpe)
Bronze : Sirine Lounes (Fra) / Morales Gema (Spa) and Chizari Faezeh (Ira) / Crhonkova Adriana (Cze)
-55 kg : Bagheri Avishan (Ira) / Katayama Haname (Jap)
Bronze : Warling Jennifer (Lux) / Lanzone Eleonora Maria (Ita) and Heurtault Sara (Fra) / Uygur Umay (Tur)
Kata : Shimizu Natsuki (Jap) / Donofrio Terryana (Ita)
Bronze : Feracci Laeticia (Fra) / Mark Melinda (Sui) and Garcia Lozano Marta (Esp) / Meyer Lena (Ger)
