8th World University Karate Championship in Bratislava Opened

BRATISLAVA – On July 7^th 2012 at Bratislava’s Kuchajda, an open-air park in the city center, the World University Karate Championships 2012 were officially opened.

The Minister of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, Mr. Dušan Čaplovič, was accompanied by FISU Executive Committee member Mrs Kairis Ulp, the Chairman of the Administrative District of Bratislava Mr. Paul Frešo, President of Slovak Olympic Committee Mr. František Chmelár and other representatives of sport, cultural and social life at the opening ceremony.

The competitions themselves are taking place during three days (July 13^th until July 15^th) in the premises of Sport Hall MLADOSŤ in Bratislava. The 8^th edition of this WUC has gathered 43 countries from the five continents, with 191 male and 138 female athletes, accompanied by 102 officials – in total 432 participants.

The university students have successfully started the competitions in which the Gold medals during the first day of the Championships went to Japan, Spain, Croatia, France, Azerbaijan, Russian Federation and Turkey.

 Women’s Individual Kata Podium

Results Day 1 (13 July)

Kata Individual Female

1 Kiyou Shimizu (Japan)

2 Liptakova Katarina (Slovakia)

3 Lau Mo Sheung Grace (Hong Kong, China)

3 Scordo Sandy (France)

Kata Individual Male

1 Quintero Capdevila Damian Hugo (Spain)

2 Ryo Kiyuna (Japan)

3 Vojvodic Mijat (Montenegro)

3 Urik Matej (Slovakia)

Kumite Individual Female +68

1 Martinović Maša (Croatia)

2 Ayumi Uekusa (Japan)

3 Palacio Gonzalez Laura (Spain)

3 Burucu Hafsa Seyda (Turkey)

Kumite Individual Female -68

1 Matoub Lamya (France)

2 Hocaoglu Meltem (Turkey)

3 Tang Lingling (China)

3 Warda Kamila (Poland)

Kumite Individual Male +84

1 Barbosa Wellington (Brazil)

2 Robb Calum Turnbull (United Kingdom GB & NI)

3 Atamov Shahin (Azerbaijan)

3 Vizuete Fernandez Iagoba (Spain)

Kumite Individual Male -75

1 Yagci Serkan (Turkey)

2 Mihailovic Ljubisa (Montenegro)

3 Mamayev Aykhan (Azerbaijan)

3 Jimena Marquez Carlos (Spain)

Kumite Individual Male -84

1 Aliev Alexander (Russian Federation)

2 Lucic Danilo (Montenegro)

3 Ryutaro Araga (Japan)

3 Lieskovsky Adam (Slovakia)

(Source: OC)