Local Karateka wins gold at junior world championship

Ly defeated Nejma Imitik of Marocco 2-0 in the final match of the junior female kumite 53kg class to claim the gold medal.

This is the country's second karate gold in history following the first in the kata (performance) by Nguyen Thi Hoang Ngan back in 2008.

To qualify for the finals, Ly beat Izaguirre Galdamez Estefany Rachel of El Salvador 8-0, Loeher Larie of Germany 9-0, and Kvasnicova Nina of Slovakia 4-1 in the group stage.

She also outplayed Yahiaoui Kenza of Algeria in the semi-final before going on to beat Maroccan Imitik in the gold-medal match.

Elsewhere, her teammate, Nguyen Phuong Thao brought home a silver medal in the junior female kumite 48kg class after enduring an 8-0 loss to Aly Ganna of Egypt in the final.

This year saw the championship, which is one of the most important competitions of the year, attract almost 1,900 athletes from 105 countries and territories worldwide.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese athletes pocketed a gold, a silver, and a bronze at the 27th Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, an event which is ongoing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Cai Hong Phuc and Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh grabbed a gold medal in the event’s mixed doubles, while Tran Viet Hoan and Nguyen Thi Thanh Uyen won a silver medal.

Phuc also won the bronze medal in the men’s 42kg category.