The city of Coimbra in Portugal hosted the 2017 of the European Universities Karate Championship. Over 200 competitors from 21 countries gathered at the Portuguese city to clash for gold in yet another example of the impact of Karate among youngsters.

The city of Coimbra in Portugal hosted the 2017 of the European Universities Karate Championship. Over 200 competitors from 21 countries gathered at the Portuguese city to clash for gold in yet another example of the impact of Karate among youngsters.

After three days of competition, the representatives of Portugal, Turkey and FYR of Macedonia topped the medal table. Local karatekas prevailed in Female Kata, with gold for Patricia Cardoso, in Female Kumite -61kg, with triumph for Alexandra Silva, and in Female Kumite +68kg, with gold going to Ana Rita Oliveira.

Meanwhile, Turkey dominated the male categories, with titles for the Male Kata Team, Abdulkadir Kara in Male Kumite -61kg and Eray Samdan in Male Kumite -60kg. Macedonian representatives lead the way in Female Kumite -50kg with gold for Sara Radichevska and in Male Kumite -75kg with victory for Petar Zaborski.

The rest of gold medals went to Carlota Fernández Osorio of Spain in Female Kumite -55kg, Miroslava Kopunova of Slovakia in Female Kumite -68kg, Antonio Garcia Vargas of Spain in Male Kata, Karaqi Alvin of Kosovo in Male Kumite -84kg and Ljubisa Mihailovic of Montenegro in Male Kumite +84kg.  

The Trophy for the best University in the competition was awarded to Istanbul Aydin University. The European Universities Championships 2017 gathers athletes from all over the continent and 19 different sports to promote the practice of sport in Universities. The tournament held in Coimbra highlighted youngsters from 108 universities in 21 countries, and it follows the successful last edition of the event celebrated in 2015 in Zabljak (Montenegro).