The final day of the 2024 AKF Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships in Manila, Philippines saw Asia's top young karate athletes compete in the U21 categories. The event, which gathered the continent's finest, concluded with Japan at the top of the medal table, securing 25 medals, including 16 golds. Iran followed closely with 23 medals, while Kazakhstan impressed with 14.

U21 Kata Female: Sato Kotomi Shines for Japan

 

Sato Kotomi of Japan delivered a stellar performance in the U21 Kata Female final, defeating Vietnam's Thi Thu Uyen Hoang with a score of 41.20 to 39.00.  

 

  U21 Kata Male: Yousif Mustafa Triumphs for Iraq

 

In a closely contested U21 Kata Male final, Yousif Mustafa of Iraq edged out Indonesia's Christopher Edbert Setiabudi. Both competitors scored 41.00, but Mustafa claimed victory by tie-breaking criteria

 

  U21 Kumite Female -50 kg: Ishihara's Victory Continues Japan's Golden Run

 

Mizuki Ishihara of Japan added to her country's gold tally by defeating Iran's Yalda Naghibeiranvand in the U21 Kumite Female -50 kg category.  

 

  U21 Kumite Female -55 kg: Saeidabadi Dominates for Iran

 

Iran's Fatemehzahra Saeidabadi showcased her dominance in the U21 Kumite Female -55 kg final, overpowering Tien Hsin-Erh of Chinese Taipei with a convincing 9-0 victory.  

 

  U21 Kumite Female -61 kg: Darenskaya Edges Tight Match for Kazakhstan

 

In the U21 Kumite Female -61 kg final, Kazakhstan's Daiyana Darenskaya narrowly defeated Pao Yu-Hsun of Chinese Taipei with a score of 2-1.  

 

  U21 Kumite Female -68 kg: Zhaxybayeva's Offensive Secures Gold

 

Venera Zhaxybayeva of Kazakhstan emerged victorious in the U21 Kumite Female -68 kg final, defeating Uzbekistan's Mohichehra Abdrimova 9-7

 

  U21 Kumite Female 68+ kg: Salehi Prevails for Iran

 

Iran's Laleh Marzi Hananeh Salehi secured the gold in the U21 Kumite Female 68+ kg category by overcoming Kazakhstan's Assylay Savidova with a score of 6-2.  

 

  U21 Kumite Male -55 kg: Shirsefat Wins for Iran

 

In the U21 Kumite Male -55 kg final, Iran's Mohammadhossein Shirsefat edged out Vietnam's Nam Tien Truong with a 5-4 victory.  

 

  U21 Kumite Male -60 kg: Alinezhadamirkolaei Dominates for Iran

 

Hossein Alinezhadamirkolaei of Iran delivered a dominant performance in the U21 Kumite Male -60 kg final, defeating Thailand's Hiroto Shiiba 9-1.  

 

  U21 Kumite Male -67 kg: Borzooeichaghagolani Triumphs for Iran

 

Iran's Amirreza Borzooeichaghagolani secured a 4-2 win over Abdullah Almutairi of Kuwait in the U21 Kumite Male -67 kg final.  

 

  U21 Kumite Male -75 kg: Askaripour's High-Scoring Win

 

Mohammaderfan Askaripour of Iran delivered a powerful performance in the U21 Kumite Male -75 kg final, defeating Kyrgyzstan's Nazim Nurlanov 12-4.  

 

  U21 Kumite Male -84 kg: Aljafari's Grit Secures Gold for Jordan

 

In a thrilling U21 Kumite Male -84 kg final, Mohammad Aljafari of Jordan emerged victorious against Saudi Arabia's Anas Alzahrani. The match ended in a 7-7 tie, but Aljafari won, showcasing his resilience and strategic prowess.

 

  U21 Kumite Male 84+ kg: Nofal's Narrow Victory for Jordan

 

Jordan's Yousef Nofal claimed the gold in the U21 Kumite Male 84+ kg category by defeating Saudi Arabia's Hamzah Albargawi 4-3.  

 

The 2024 AKF Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships concluded with Japan, Iran, and Kazakhstan emerging as the top nations, setting the stage for the future stars of Asian karate.

 

2024 AKF CADET, JUNIOR & U21 CHAMPIONSHIPS