The 2025 EKF Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships kicked off in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, bringing together the top young karate athletes from across Europe. The first day was filled with intense competition, as finalists were decided in the kata categories and cadet kumite divisions.

Cadet Kata Female: Vilanova vs. Manca in the Final

Julia Vilanova of France secured her spot in the final after a strong 39.90 to 38.70 win over Greece’s Eleni Zervou. In the other semifinal, Belgium’s Giulia Manca edged out Karolina Kisskova of Slovakia 39.00 to 38.70, setting up a thrilling final showdown.

Cadet Kata Male: Mateus and Yagudin Gritsenko Set to Battle

Portugal’s Vasco Mateus delivered a solid performance, beating Ireland’s Calvin McCann 39.40 to 38.60. Elisei Yagudin Gritsenko of Spain earned his place in the final with a 39.20 to 38.80 victory over Italy’s Matteo Freda.

Junior Kata Male: Wittek Reaches the Final for Host Nation

Poland’s Patryk Wittek kept home fans cheering as he advanced to the final with a close 38.90 to 38.80 win over Sweden’s Jakob Jonasson. He will face France’s Thomas Klemz, who outscored Spain’s Izan Lopez Tomas 41.20 to 39.60 in a dominant display.

Junior Kata Female: Jay and Marques Face Off

Germany’s Shirley Jay impressed with a 39.10 to 38.20 victory over Spain’s Abril Angulo Madrid. Portugal’s Rita Marques also delivered a strong performance, defeating France’s Ines Ordonez 39.20 to 38.50.

U21 Kata Female: Garcia Lozano Continues to Impress

Spain’s Paola Garcia Lozano showcased her exceptional skills, defeating France’s Mai Linh Bui 41.60 to 40.80. She will take on Turkiye’s Damla Su Turemen, who overcame Belgium’s Chiara Manca 39.60 to 38.60.

U21 Kata Male: Vu and Polsinelli in the Final

Sweden’s Anthony Vu secured his place in the final with a 41.70 to 40.20 win over Lucas Hoffmann of France. Italy’s Guido Polsinelli will be his opponent after he defeated Romania’s Petru Comanescu 40.20 to 38.40.

Gómez and Viechkanov Reach Cadet Kumite -52kg Final

David Gómez Maurino of Spain dominated Todor Horvat of Serbia with a 3-0 victory. In the other semifinal, Maksym Viechkanov of Ukraine secured his place in the final after a tough bout against Belgium’s Nathan Roland.

Cadet Kumite Male -57 kg: Dzafo vs. Apicella

Daris Dzafo of Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Azerbaijan’s Aliashraf Gafarov 4-2 to advance to the final. Italy’s Carmine Apicella joined him after edging out Ukraine’s Yevhenii Fedorov 1-0.

Cadet Kumite Male -63 kg: Cheban vs. Baldassarre

Austria’s Oleksandr Cheban booked his final spot with a commanding 5-1 win over Aid Curri of Kosovo. Italy’s Raffaele Baldassarre claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Turkiye’s Mustafa Tufan to reach the gold medal match.

Raaz and Mihaylov Advance in Cadet Kumite -70kg

Julian Raaz of Germany looked strong, winning 6-1 against Türkiye’s Tuna Bayram Bolat. Bulgaria’s Nikola Mihaylov shut out Croatia’s Petar Slukic with a controlled 3-0 performance.

Argyrakis and Przasnyski Battle for Cadet 70+kg Gold

Christos Argyrakis of Greece edged past Israel’s Tal Volfson with a narrow 1-0 victory. Host nation Poland celebrated as Michal Przasnyski overpowered Italy’s Francesco Ferrarini 5-0.

Cadet Kumite Female -47 kg: Vincic and Koume to Compete for Gold

Serbia’s Jana Vincic edged out Maria Balanescu of Romania 1-0 to make it to the final. France’s Lee-Lou Koume defeated Georgia’s Salome Kakutia 2-0 to advance to the gold-medal bout.

Cadet Kumite Female -54 kg: Boyadzhieva vs. Haliievska

Bulgaria’s Adriana Boyadzhieva advanced to the final by decision after a 0-0 match against Greece’s Anastasia Anastasiadi. Ukraine’s Sofiia Haliievska secured her place with a 3-2 win over Dusica Breslieva of North Macedonia.

Cadet Kumite Female -61 kg: Soendergaard vs. Iseni

Denmark’s Hannah Bath Soendergaard progressed to the final after a tense 1-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Sejla Ascic. Kosovo’s Lijana Iseni dominated Slovenia’s Lia Krvina 6-0 to secure her spot.

Douka and Dudka Face Off in Cadet Kumite +61kg

Greece’s Effrosyni Douka Davidoula edged out Anna Michaelidou of Cyprus in a dramatic 4-4 match. Daria Dudka of Ukraine put on a strong display, defeating Scotland’s Maia Ewing 7-4.

The stage is now set for an exciting second day, as these young karate talents prepare to fight for gold in their respective categories.

The finals of Sunday will be available LIVE on the WKF YouTube channel.

2025 EKF CADET, JUNIOR & U21 CHAMPIONSHIPS