Vietnamese teenager claims silver at world youth karate championships
VOV.VN - Vietnamese karateka Tran Thi Cam Tu, 17, has won silver in the women’s under-59kg kumite category at the 2026 World Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships in Poland, adding a world medal to her Asian junior title from 2025.
Cam Tu faced France’s Morgane Scarfone in the final in Bielsko-Biala on October 17, losing 6-0 to finish runner-up in the women’s junior under-59kg category.
Scarfone, one of Europe’s prominent young karate athletes, controlled the distance effectively and capitalised on her attacking opportunities to secure the gold medal.
Despite missing out on the top spot, the silver medal marks a significant achievement for the 17-year-old Vietnamese fighter, who competed in a category featuring 57 athletes.
Cam Tu progressed through four opponents before reaching the semi-finals, defeating Emilie Poskin of Belgium, Wu Hung Hua of Chinese Taipei, Noemi Emma Muehlemann of Switzerland and Katarina Djukic of Montenegro.
In the semi-final, she faced Colombia’s Maria Jose Rave Rendon in a closely contested bout. The fight ended 0-0, with Cam Tu advancing after the judges awarded her the decision under the Hantei rule.
Cam Tu’s world silver adds to her progress on the international stage. In 2025, she won gold in the women’s under-59kg kumite in the 16–17 age group at the Asian Karate Championships in Hangzhou, China.
She has also achieved strong results in domestic competition this year, including gold in the girls’ under-56kg kumite for the 16–17 age group at the National Youth Karate Championships in Thanh Hoa.
The 2026 World Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships took place in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, from October 14 to 18. The event brought together more than 2,000 athletes from 114 countries and territories, making it a major international platform for emerging karate talent.
Vietnam entered nine athletes, including notable competitors Bui Ngoc Nhi and Nguyen Thi Dieu Ly. Cam Tu’s silver medal provides an encouraging result for the country’s youth karate programme as it develops athletes for higher levels of international competition.
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