Japan topped the medal table of the 2016 AKF Cadet, Junior & U-21 Championships held this week in Makassar (Indonesia). Promising Karatekas from all over the continent showcased their outstanding abilities in an event that demonstrated Karate’s impact in the region, and that left memorable moments for the ancient discipline. 

Japan topped the medal table of the 2016 AKF Cadet, Junior & U-21 Championships held this week in Makassar (Indonesia). Promising Karatekas from all over the continent showcased their outstanding abilities in an event that demonstrated Karate’s impact in the region thus leaving memorable moments for the ancient discipline. 

During six days of competition, nearly 500 youngsters from over 30 countries dazzled with their spectacular level of competition in the impressive event being held in the capital of the South Sulawesi region. Japanese Karatekas prevailed in the tournament after claiming a sensational tally of 32 medals, 20 of them gold. Iran also confirmed their condition of major force in the continent with 25 medals, while host country Indonesia and Saudi Arabia took their share of prominence in the championships reaching the podium 21 and 11 times, respectively. 



The event in Makassar also presented some of the upcoming stars of the sport, as the future heroes of Asian Karate earned yet one more success in their young careers. One of the biggest names of the event was Tareg Hamedi of Saudi Arabia. The defending Junior World champion won his second gold of the season after his victory in Karate 1-Premier League in Okinawa and confirmed his status of shining figure of underage Karate following his triumph in the final of U21 Kumite Male +84kg category over Kazakhstan’s Dimash Ukmatov. 

Japan’s Miho Miyahara also demonstrated her domination in the U21 Female -50kg category, and after her silver medal in the 2016 Senior Karate World Championships, the promising Karateka claimed gold in Makassar so to increase her tally of one silver and two bronze medals in World Junior, Cadet and U21 Championships. 

Just as it happened in the Senior World Championships in Linz, Japanese Karatekas monopolized the individual Kata competition by winning gold in all male and female Cadet, Junior and U21 categories, Karate fans will have to set their eyes in the talented winners of the U21 competition for upcoming events as Mizuki Ugai in U21 Female Kata and Yuhei Horiba in U21 Male Kata extended their victories in World Junior, Cadet and U21 Championships with two powerful performances in Makassar. 

Click here for all the results and information of the 2016 15th AKF Cadet, Junior & U-21 Championships in Makassar, Indonesia. 

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