Georgia to host European Cadet, Junior, U21 Karate Championships
The Georgian national team will be represented by 26 athletes, including current European champions Ika Sulamandize and Uta Poniava, competing in the -67 kg weight category in Under-21 competition and the -68 kg section among the juniors respectively. Photo: Gsknf/Facebook
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Georgia’s capital Tbilisi will host the European Cadet, Junior and Under 21 Karate Championships next week with 1,200 athletes from 49 countries.
The Georgian national team will be represented by 26 athletes, including current European champions Ika Sulamanidze and Uta Poniava, competing in the -67 kg weight category in Under-21 competition and the -68 kg section among the juniors respectively.
In his comments to the Georgian Public Broadcaster, Gogita Arkania, the head coach of the national team, said the participation of the “strongest” athletes from across Europe in the event increased the team’s “motivation and responsibility”.
He said the squad was going through the “final stage” of preparations, with athletes in “good shape” to score successful results.
Georgian junior kumite Uta Poniava has become the winner of the 2023 European Karate Federation Cadet, Junior, U21 Championships on Sunday in the south coast port city of Larnaca in Cyprus.
Georgian judoka Lasha Shavdatuashvili claimed gold at the 2023 Paris Grand Slam in the -73 kg weight category of the tournament, repeating last year’s result, the Georgian Judo Federation said on Saturday.
Georgian wrestler Ilia Sulamanidze claimed a gold medal at the Judo Grand Prix in Portugal on Sunday. Sulamanidze defeated his Japanese rival Arai Dota, throwing the competitor twice with waza-ari in the -100 kg category final.
The Georgian national team claimed 22 medals on Sunday at the 9th World Kungfu Championships held in the city of Emeishan in Sichuan Province in China.
Georgian Karate fighter Gogita Arkania has claimed a gold medal at the 2021 World Karate Championships, becoming the world champion for the second time. 37-year-old Arkania became the world champion for the first time in 2014.
Georgia’s capital city of Tbilisi is hosting the European Cadet, Junior and U21 Championships for the first time, with about 1200 athletes from 49 countries participating in the tournament.
Georgian junior kumite males Uta Poniava and Gigi Alania on Sunday became the winners of the 2024 European Karate Federation Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships.
The Georgian national team claimed silver and bronze medals in the Karate 1 Series A tournament in Cyprus, the Sports Ministry said on Monday.