CAIRO — In karate, a split-second decision can make all the difference. One move can decide a contest. At the 2026 World Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships in Poland, Egypt’s young athletes tested themselves against the world’s best and showed they could hold their own.
Egypt came away with 11 medals: four gold, three silver and four bronze. The team finished second in the overall medal table, behind Japan, but topped the kumite rankings.
It was a strong showing across the junior, youth and U21 categories, with Egyptian athletes winning medals in both kata and kumite. The results highlighted the squad’s strength across different disciplines.
Golden quartet
Four Egyptian karatekas reached the top of the podium in the kumite events.
Abdel Rahim El-Sayed claimed gold in the junior boys’ 52kg category. Moaz Mostafa followed with victory in the youth boys’ 68kg event.
Sally Islam won the women’s U21 55kg title, while Omar Ashraf claimed gold in the men’s U21 84kg category.
Egypt’s four golds came across different age groups and weight classes, showing the team’s strength across the board. The titles were shared among athletes competing in different categories, rather than resting on one standout performance.
Their results put Egypt at the top of the kumite medal table, a notable achievement despite the team finishing second overall behind Japan.
Silver strike
Egypt’s silver medallists played their part in the team’s strong showing.
Jana Kassem finished second in junior girls’ individual kata. Malak Afifi claimed silver in the youth women’s 52kg kumite category, while Roaa El-Taher took second place in the youth women’s +68kg event.
Each result added to the tally. The silver medals also reinforced the team’s strength in kumite, where Egyptian athletes finished with the highest medal total worldwide.
Bronze boost
Four bronze medals brought Egypt’s final tally to 11.
Hana Hany took third place in youth girls’ individual kata. Malak Ragab won bronze in the junior girls’ 61kg kumite category, while Mohab Hossam finished third in the youth boys’ 61kg event.
Hassan Awwad completed the list with bronze in the men’s U21 +84kg kumite category.
The results showed how widely Egypt’s success was spread. Athletes from several age groups reached the podium, with medals in both kata and kumite and across a range of weight divisions.
That variety was one of the defining features of the campaign. It also offered a glimpse of the talent coming through the junior, youth and U21 ranks.
Final push
Japan finished ahead of Egypt in the overall standings, but the Egyptian team had plenty to celebrate. Second place overall and top spot in the kumite medal rankings made for a strong campaign in Poland.
Now comes the harder part, building on it.
The performances offer encouragement ahead of future international competitions. They also provide younger athletes valuable experience of competing against leading opponents on the world stage. The challenge now is to build on that experience and keep improving.
The team’s achievement comes amid wider support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Egyptian Olympic Committee.
Egypt leaves Poland with four golds, three silvers and four bronzes. It is an impressive result, but what matters next is how the team builds on it.
For now, Egypt’s young karate athletes have delivered a campaign to be proud of, giving themselves a solid platform to build on.
