June 19, 2022 - Porec is set to welcome the World Karate Federation! Typically seen as a popular Istrian summer holiday destination, Porec is also known as “a city with a thousand-year history”. This year, the city is looking forward to the Croatian Karate Union’s second spectacular World Karate Federation Youth League Tournament.

After an extremely triumphant event last year, Porec will be hosting the championship once again. Despite the global coronavirus pandemic and all of the issues it caused, the organisers are excited to welcome a larger and more successful event to be held between the 1st and the 3rd of July this year.

The tournament will take place at the Intersport Sports Hall and recreation centre in Porec, and the organisers are hoping to break the world record for the number of competitors, and simultaneously raise the standard of the tournament's overall quality.

Over six days, ambitious Karateka (karate students) will be given the opportunity to learn and train with world-class athletes and renowned coaches in the training camp, which takes place before the tournament. The 2022 Youth Camp will be open to receive competitors and athletes between 10 and 20 years of age. There are over 500 youths from 36 countries that have enrolled in the training camp as it is, which bodes very well.

Originally staged in Umag, the training camp and tournament were moved to accommodate the overwhelming number of athletes expected to participate in these events for the second year running.

The Karate Youth League tournament was conceived to emphasise the influence of karate on youths globally, and the tournament will highlight those athletes who are aiming to reach higher positions in their World Karate Federation international ranking. This league aims to become a platform to develop the skills of these young athletes and their sporting careers with maximum progression at the fullest potential.

Since the Japan 2020 Olympic games, and with the increasing interest of youth in this sport, it's more than inspiring to see that the organisers of the event are taking extra measures to ensure that the competitors participate in an experience that they will never forget.

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The karate gold and silver has come to Croatia thanks to the brilliant Kvesić brothers from Karate club Hercegovina-Zagreb. At this year's European Games in Minsk, Ivan Kvesić won the gold medal while his brother Anđelo Kvesić secured the silver.

On Saturday, Croatian martial artist Ivan Kvesić won the karate gold medal at the European Games in Minsk. The World Champion defeated Turkish martial artist Ugur Aktas in the final of the category up to 84 kilos by the decision of the judges after the fight ended 0-0, reports Fight Site.hr.

Ivan Kvesić achieved three wins in the same number of appearances in his group and as the winner of the group, he secured himself a spot in the semifinal. Kvesić was better than Kosovar Alvin Karaqi 5-0, Montenegrin Nikola Malović 2-0, and Ukrainian Valerii Chobotar 3-0. In the semifinal, he defeated Italian Michele Martina 8-0.

Ivan’s brother, Anđelo Kvesić, lost to Asiman Gurbanli from Azerbaijan with a score of 0-1 in the final of the 84 kilo category to secure the silver. 

Anđelo Kvesić also won first place in his group. He defeated Serbian Slobodan Bitević 2-0, then by the decision of the judges, defeated Belarusian Aliaksei Vodchyts, even though the duel ended 2-2, and held 0-0 against Georgian Gogita Arkania, which was enough for both of the fighters to place in the semifinal. In the semifinal, Anđelo Kvesić defeated Jonathan Horne of England with a score of 1-0 and lost to Asiman Gurbanli from Azerbaijan 0-1.

These aren’t the only medals for Croatia at the European Games in Minsk, either. Namely, Croatia has thus far won 8 medals -  Croatia’s female athletes Lucija Babić is a gold medalist in sambo, while Barbara Matić won the bronze in Judo. 

Tomislav Pucar won the bronze in table tennis, Toni Filipi and Marko Milun secured the bronze in boxing, and Mario Vavro achieved the bronze in shooting.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.