MANILA, Philippines — Filipino karatekas Kathleya Bustamante and Francis Abundo delivered a strong showing on home soil, capturing gold medals at the 2026 Karate One Youth League Manila.
Bustamante secured the country’s first gold medal of the tournament after a commanding 6-2 victory over Australia’s Ana Jovic in the finals. The General Santos native expressed both pride and relief after achieving her breakthrough on the আন্তর্জাতিক stage.
“I am very happy that I did it. I did my best to reach this gold medal. This is my first ever international championship,” she said.
Despite the pressure, Bustamante kept her composure throughout the bout.
“I was so nervous, but I used my mind and pushed myself to play smart,” she added.
Abundo followed up with an equally dominant performance, overwhelming Brunei’s Wan Zuraimi Wan Azlee Khairi Bin via mercy rule, 7-0, in the Under-14 Kumite Male -40kg division.
The young standout admitted surprise at how decisively he won, especially against a taller opponent.
“I am glad since I took home a gold medal for our country, and I really want to continue this career,” Abundo said. “I did not expect to win this way, and I thought the game would be close.”
