The European Universities Combat Sports Championships brought high-level competition to Warsaw, Poland, as 1,430 athletes from 32 countries gathered to compete across four disciplines: judo, kickboxing, taekwondo, and karate. The event highlighted the growing strength of university sport in Europe, with karate drawing special attention. The karate competition featured 326 athletes representing 145 universities from 25 nations.
Young Karate athletes competed across 16 categories, including both individual and team divisions. The tournament was hosted by the Polish Karate Union, led by its president and European Karate Federation (EKF) Executive Committee member Pawel Połtorzecki. EKF General Secretary Davor Cipek headed the event, underscoring the importance of the championships within the European karate community.
The Turkish universities dominated the medal standings. Gazi University took the top spot with an impressive haul of five gold medals and two silver medals. Anadolu University followed closely, earning four golds, three silvers, and one bronze. Istanbul Aydin University and Ondokuz Mayis University also performed strongly, each finishing with four golds and two bronzes.
The successful organisation of the karate competition reinforced Poland’s role in hosting major university sport events. With strong institutional support and international participation, the event provided a platform for young athletes to test their skills at a high level and for federations to strengthen their ties across Europe.
From left to right: Mariusz Pelka, General Secretary of Polish Karate Union; Eva Mona Altmann, Head of Referees and Judges at the event; Pawel Połtorzecki, President of Polish Karate Union and the EKF Executive Committee member, Davor Cipek, EKF General Secretary; Luka Požgaj, EKF TD at the event; Stjepan Štimac, EUSA Result manager; Konrad Połtorzecki, Sportdata WKF Supervisor