The 2025 Karate 1 Youth League in Guadalajara, Spain, continued its celebration of youth excellence with the junior categories taking center stage on day two. With over 3,000 young athletes from 80 countries gathered in one of the biggest youth karate events of the year, the atmosphere was electric as new champions were crowned.

Junior Kata Female: Shirley Jay Takes Gold for Germany
Shirley Jay of Germany delivered a standout kata performance, securing the gold medal with a score of 25.40. Her opponent, Rita Marques of Portugal, also impressed but fell just short with 24.90.

Junior Kata Male: Luigi Di Rubba Claims Title for Italy
Italy’s Luigi Di Rubba topped the junior male kata category, scoring 24.80 against Jakub Zlabek of Czechia, who finished with 24.40. Di Rubba’s control and timing made the difference in a close final.

Junior Kumite Female -48 kg: Portugal’s Isis Matos Dominates
Isis Matos from Portugal captured gold in Junior Kumite Female -48kg with a strong 7-3 win over Italy’s Asia De Falco. Matos showed speed and control to take a commanding lead early in the bout.

Junior Kumite Female -53 kg: Lithuania’s Liutkeviciute Wins
Migle Liutkeviciute of Lithuania edged out Turkiye’s Cakir Nisanur in a tight 6-6 match. Both athletes scored evenly, but Liutkeviciute ultimately won the crown.

Junior Kumite Female -59 kg: Arzumian Impresses for France
France’s Monica Arzumian delivered a confident 4-0 victory over England’s Talia Nardelli. Arzumian kept control throughout and gave Nardelli no opportunity to score.

Junior Kumite Female -66 kg: Italy’s Elisa Cattaneo Unstoppable
Elisa Cattaneo dominated her final, defeating Ukraine’s Uliana Baranova 6-0. The Italian karateka displayed excellent distance and timing, sealing a convincing win.

Junior Kumite Female 66+ kg: Hakova Narrowly Beats Tomic
In one of the closest finals of the day, Amalie Hakova of Czechia edged out Sara Tomic of Croatia, winning 4-3. It was a hard-fought bout, with both athletes exchanging well-timed techniques.

Junior Kumite Male -55 kg: Kazakhstan’s Abdikadyr in Control
Miras Abdikadyr gave a commanding performance against Czechia’s Filip Hornak, winning 5-0. The Kazakh athlete’s accuracy proved too much for his opponent.

Junior Kumite Male -61 kg: Rombeaux Earns Gold for Belgium
Belgium’s Matt Rombeaux earned a clean 3-0 victory over Maksym Stetsiv of Ukraine. Rombeaux maintained the lead with consistent pressure and well-timed attacks.

Junior Kumite Male -68 kg: Italy Sweeps Podium as Tommasino Wins
Almerico Tommasino defeated fellow Italian Antonio Russomanno Gioele with a dominant 8-0 performance. Tommasino’s quick points and strong defence sealed Italy’s gold.

Junior Kumite Male -76 kg: Turkiye’s Keles Osman Takes Narrow Win
Burak Keles Osman of Turkiye edged out Mykhailo Shumovych of Ukraine 2-1 in a tactical battle. A late point by Keles Osman proved the difference.

Junior Kumite Male 76+ kg: Anisimov Wins for Belgium
Vladislav Anisimov of Belgium claimed gold against Spain’s Adrian Fernandez Rodriguez in a 2-2 victory. The match was intense, and Anisimov’s early point made the difference in the final result.

Day two in Guadalajara showed the depth of young karate talent globally. With strong performances and tightly contested finals, the future of the sport continues to shine.

2025 KARATE 1-YOUTH LEAGUE GUADALAJARA

(Pictures: cheffotto / RFEK)