Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games: Day Six Highlights and Winners
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – October 25th, 2023: The halfway point of the Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games has officially been reached, with a flurry of action capturing the attention of audiences worldwide. Karate, Judo, Sambo, and Sumo have crowned their gold medalists, and today, Aikido showcased its final masterful displays. The spotlight now shifts to Fencing, Wrestling, Ju-Jitsu, and Kickboxing, which are still in full swing.
In today’s events, numerous countries clinched gold, with Ukraine, Independent Neutral Athletes and China emerging as the gold medal leaders. Saudi Arabia remains at the forefront of total medals secured, adding 11 podium finishes to their impressive collection today. Unfolding over 11 exhilarating days and spotlighting 16 combat and martial arts disciplines, the heart of Riyadh continues to reverberate with unmatched sporting fervor.
Fencing
The Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games introduced its fencing events today, showcasing its distinct Épée and Sabre styles. Épée emphasizes precise thrusts across the body, while Sabre combines slashes and thrusts above the waist. Fans enjoyed thrilling bouts, noting the different scoring methods: Épée’s simultaneous hits and Sabre’s right of way.
In the women’s individual Sabre event, Saudi Arabia’s Danah Alqahtani took the gold. The silver went to Alhsna Alhammad, also representing the host city. Rounding off the podium with a bronze was Adel Almutairi, also from Saudi Arabia.
In the women’s individual Épée competition, Zainab Alhosani of the UAE was awarded first, closely followed by her fellow countrywoman Zahraa Jammali in second place. Securing third was Fawzya Alkhibiri from Saudi Arabia.
Gold and silver in the men’s Épée individual competition was a clean sweep from Saudi Arabia’s representatives, Jawad Aldawood and Faisal Abed, respectively. The winner of the men’s individual Sabre was Adel Almutairi of Saudi Arabia.
Ju-Jitsu
With over 600 years of heritage, Ju-Jitsu is a martial art emphasizing self-defense. Day six highlighted Ju-Jitsu Fighting and Ne-Waza. The former is a contemporary style with a wide array of techniques, from strikes to throws and groundwork. Ne-Waza focuses on ground grappling, using pins, joint locks, and strangles to immobilize an opponent.
The winner of the women’s Ne-Zawa -52 kg category was Jenna Kaila Napolis of the Philippines, while the +70 kg Women’s Fighting division saw Lauryne Lage of France take the gold.
In men’s Ju-Jitsu, Lukas Bombik of Germany took gold in the Fighting -94 kg division. In the +94 kg Fighting category, first was awarded to Kunathip Yea-On of Thailand. Khaled Alshehhi of the UAE won the -62 kg Ne-Zawa category while Abdulmalik Al Murdhi of Saudi Arabia took second.
Wrestling
The ancient discipline of Pankration took center stage during Wrestling’s second day of events. Pankration merges wrestling with striking methods, offering a compelling mix of technique and power. Today’s disciplines included full-contact Pankration and the semi-contact Pankration Athlima.
In the men’s wrestling competition, Ali Guliyev of Azerbaijan clinched the gold in the 66 kg division. The 71 kg category saw Oleksandr Huliaiev of Ukraine taking the top honors. Kyrylo Horobets, also from Ukraine, emerged victorious in the 84 kg division, while his national cohorts Roman Kiziuk and Bohdan Hnidko won in the 92 kg and 100 kg divisions, respectively.
In the women’s wrestling competition, Anna Baezhenar of Ukraine took gold in the 53 kg final. Khilola Sobirova of Uzbekistan emerged as the winner in the 57 kg division. Daria Chibisova, representing Ukraine, earned the top spot in the 65 kg category, while Germany’s Lorena Nicole Cubero Gamero secured the gold in the 70 kg weight class. In the 80 kg division, Madeline Alyce Shellman of the USA claimed victory.
Kickboxing
Day one of Kickboxing’s three-day event saw athletes showcasing their skills in two distinct disciplines: Low Kick and Point Fighting. In Low Kick, competitors aim for powerful strikes to their opponent’s legs, while Point Fighting focuses on quick, controlled hits to score points. Today marked the start of the athlete’s qualifying rounds, with the semifinals kicking off tomorrow.
Aikido
Aikido showcased eight demonstration teams today, including a Saudi Arabian Team and a Japanese Team, alongside Aikido Fundamentals, Advanced Aikido, Para Aikido, Aikido Experts, Shihan and Doho Cho. Known for its use of alternating attacks and defenses, the martial art of Aikido does not have gender or weight classifications.
Fencing will continue tomorrow at 8:30 am and 2:30 pm in KSU 4. Wrestling will be held in KSU 5 at 11 am and 4 pm in KSU 5. Ju-Jitsu’s final day will feature in KSU 1 at 2 pm. Kickboxing will begin its second day at 3 pm in KSU 2.
About the Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games:
This year marks a significant milestone for Saudi Arabia as Riyadh proudly becomes the first Middle Eastern city to host the World Combat Games. The programme for this year’s Games encompasses 16 combat sports and martial arts disciplines, including Aikido, Armwrestling, Boxing, Fencing, Judo, Ju-Jitsu, Karate, Kendo, Kickboxing, Muaythai, Sambo, Savate, Sumo, Taekwondo, Wrestling, and Wushu.