MANILA, Philippines — Kaylani Vergara clinched the bronze medal in the Under-14 Female Kumite -47kg division at the Karate 1-Youth League Manila on Sunday, battling back through the repechage to defeat Serbia's Andrea Nikolic at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Vergara dominated her Serbian opponent, securing a decisive 4-1 victory in their one-minute, 30-second bout.
She earned her spot in the repechage round after an intense opening victory against Malaysia's Anthony Abah Rodriguez.
"In the repechage, I was fighting for the bronze. My opponent was much taller than I, so I did everything I could and just kicked harder," Vergara shared.
"A lot of things were running through my mind, but I managed to stay positive despite her size. I am incredibly happy to take home this bronze."
Coming from Mindanao, Vergara shared that heading to her first worlds, she put in all the work to stamp her class in karate.
"I was crying on the tatami because I was so proud of myself," she said.
"I trained for a month straight, sometimes even sleeping at our gym—that’s how badly I wanted this."
The 13-year-old has represented AAK Gensan (Association for the Advancement of Karatedo - General Santos) in competitive karate circuits.
Representing the Philippines through AAK Gensan, she secured official registration and entry into the prestigious WKF (World Karate Federation) international youth tournament draws.
The milestone also marked a significant leap in her competitive career as she advanced into the U14 Kumite Female -47 kg category, debuting her skills in formal weight-class sparring divisions on the global circuit.
