Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games: Day Eight Delivers 30 Gold Medals in Kickboxing, Armwrestling, and Fencing Events
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – October 27th, 2023: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – October 27th, 2023: Day eight of the Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games was a testament to skill, determination, and sportsmanship. Fans today were met with the intensity of Kickboxing’s Low Kick and Point Fighting championships, culminating with ten gold medals. Armwrestling also resonated with intensity, distributing 16 first-place awards and spotlighting its Left Arm weight divisions, inclusive of the Para Sitting and Para Standing categories. Finally, the finesse and strategy of Fencing were evident during the Sabre and Foil team event finals, adding another four medals to the tally.
The day concluded with 30 awarded gold medals, underscoring the immense talent showcased during this distinguished 11-day sporting spectacle. Since the Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games grand opening on October 20th, 41 medals have been awarded to Saudi Arabia. At the end of day eight, Ukraine stands atop the podium, leading the total gold medal count with 18, while Kazakhstan follows in second with ten. Standing in third is Saudi Arabia, with nine total gold medals.
Kickboxing
After three full days of qualifiers and semi-finals, Kickboxing reached its thrilling climax today. The competition showcased two distinguished disciplines: Low Kick and Point Fighting. In Low Kick, athletes deliver forceful strikes to their opponent’s legs. In contrast, Point Fighting emphasized speed and precision, with competitors landing quick, controlled blows to tally points.
Women’s Low Kick
In the women’s Low Kick discipline, Brazil’s Maria Eduarda Costa Alves secured the gold in the -48 kg division, Julina Nilusmas of France took the top spot in the -56 kg category, and Serbia’s Valentina Keri emerged with first in the -65 kg weight class.
Women’s Point Fighting
Gold in women’s Point Fighting was secured by Italy’s Carol Scacchi in the -55 kg division, Andrea Busa of Hungary in the -65 kg category and Jodie Browne of Ireland in the -70 kg event.
Men’s Low Kick
In the men’s Low Kick championships, first was awarded to Amin Guliyev of Azerbaijan in the -60 kg division, Abror Khakimov of Kyrgyzstan in the -71 kg category and Brazil’s Lucas Rafael Ferraz Dos Santos in the -81 kg segment.
Men’s Point Fighting
In the Men’s Point Fighting competition, champions included Hungary’s Bence Laszlo Zajacz in the -69 kg category alongside his compatriot Imre Lajos Fesu in the -79 kg bracket and Christopher John Aston from Great Britain in the -94 kg division.
Armwrestling
Armwrestling, an ancient tradition, blends strength and strategy. Day one featured intense battles in various male and female weight divisions and Para categories. Athletes showcased their gripping, leveraging, and endurance skills, employing diverse techniques to gain an advantage.
Women’s Left Arm
In the women’s Left Arm division, Esra Kirav from Turkey secured victory for the -55 kg division, Aigerim Karamanova from Kazakhstan claimed the -65 kg title, Sweden’s Mona Ann-Sofi Reisek emerged as the champion in the -80 kg category, and Barbora Bajciova from Slovakia took the +80 kg division win.
Ukraine excelled in both Para events, with Alona Hornich taking first place in the Women’s Left Arm Para Standing event and Olesia Bessalnova securing the gold in the Women’s Left Arm Para Visual category.
Men’s Left Arm
In the men’s Left Arm division, Kazakhstan’s Yerdaulet Sarybay secured the -70 kg win with a victory by extra round, while compatriot Nurdaulet Aidarkhan took the -80 kg top spot. In the -90 kg division, Marius-aurel Jurovschi of Romania claimed victory, while Kazakhstan secured another two wins in the -100 kg and +100 kg categories, with golds awarded to Talgat Aktayev and Medet Kuttymuratovm, respectively.
The champion of the Men’s Left-Arm Para Standing division was Daniel Simon of Hungary, while the gold in the men’s Left-Arm Para Sitting category was awarded to Gokhan Seven of Turkey.
Fencing
Today’s fencing competitions featured the Sabre and Foil team championships. In the Foil team event, coordinated precision strikes above the waist set the stage for intense battles, while the Sabre team matches highlighted the exhilarating combination of individual expertise and group strategy. Fans were mesmerized by the distinct scoring systems, from Épée’s double touches to Foil’s right-of-way conventions, underlining the captivating nature of the sport.
Women’s Fencing
The Women’s Foil team witnessed the United Arab Emirates securing first place with a 45-13 win over Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia rebounded to secure the bronze.
In the Women’s Sabre team event, Saudi Arabia emerged victorious, clinching the top spot by defeating the United Arab Emirates 45-25.
Men’s Fencing
In the Men’s Sabre team event, Saudi Arabia was awarded the gold with a 45-33 win over Iraq. Additionally, Saudi Arabia captured the bronze by defeating the United Arab Emirates 45-21.
For the Men’s Foil team category, Qatar emerged with the victory, beating Kuwait with a score of 45-40.
The Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games will continue on to day nine with Savate at 10 am and 2 pm in KSU 5. Taekwondo will premier at 1 pm and 6 pm in KSU 1. Muaythai will also debut at 1 pm and 5 pm in KSU 3.
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.