WKF Karate Tournament in K1 Youth League - Poreč
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A spectacular WKF Karate tournament in the K1 Youth League - Poreč
Poreč, one of Croatia's most charming towns, once again provided a stunning backdrop for the WKF's largest youth tournament, Youth League Poreč. Under bright sunshine and pleasant temperatures, the picturesque town transformed into a mecca for young martial artists from all over the world. This year's edition of the Youth League, with a whopping 6,000 participants in the age groups U12 to U21, was the largest ever.
A global atmosphere amidst the summer heat
Despite the extreme heat, the atmosphere in the hall was electric. Clubs from countries such as Brazil, Hong Kong, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Morocco and the USA contributed to a lively, international atmosphere that perfectly reflected the competitive spirit.
Some of our Punok athletes in focus
The achievements of our young athletes were particularly remarkable.
Valentina Grüner (U12): Valentina Grüner, the talented daughter of Christian Grüner, impressed in the U12 and ultimately secured second place. Her performances promise a bright future.
Emina Sipovic (U21, Bosnia, -61 kg): Emina Sipovic, who tops the world rankings in her weight class, showed off her skills in the warm conditions. After a convincing 6:0 win in the quarter-finals against a German athlete, she won 4:0 in the semi-finals against a Croatian. In the exciting final, she defeated German Anastasia Semeneko 3:2 and secured the gold medal. A shining moment for Emina and Team Punok. Emina expressed her gratitude to her team: "Thank you so much, your support means everything to me."
Dora Fleischer (U21, Hungary, +68 kg): Dora Fleischer had a tough start, narrowly losing in the first round 3:3 against a Ukrainian (Senshu Ukraine). As her opponent was eliminated in the next round, Dora's competition ended early.
Ili Hellen (U18, Germany, -59 kg): The competition was also challenging for Ili Hellen. She lost in the first round to a Ukrainian 5:3. The Ukrainian advanced to the quarterfinals, where she lost to Sydney Yvon, leaving Ili with no chance of a rematch.
Sydney Yvon (U18, France, -59 kg): Sydney Yvon made it to the final after an exciting semifinal match, which she won on a decision with 0:0. However, she lost in the final to her French opponent with 3:0, which secured the silver medal.
Imane Valk (U18, Netherlands, -66 kg): Imane Valk started strong, winning her first match against a Slovenian 7:2. In the next match, she narrowly lost 5:6 to a Turkish opponent, who was also eliminated in the following round, ending Imane's competition.