Georgian karate athletes claimed an impressive haul of seven medals at the IX International Karate Championship “Black Belt Cup 2026,” held on February 21-22 in Lecco, Italy. Organized by the United Federation of Italian Sports Karate (UKS), the tournament brought together approximately 1,000 competitors from around 20 countries.
The Georgian team, representing the Shotokan Karate Do Confederation, dominated the podium with four golds, two silvers, and one bronze medal.
Senior competitor Chabuka Makharadze, a four-time world and five-time European champion and black belt V Dan, won gold in both individual kata and the kumite absolute weight category.
Among younger athletes, 13-year-old Andria Saatashvili, a two-time European champion and seasoned international competitor, took gold in individual kata for 13-year-old boys. He also earned silver in the individual kumite +55 kg category and bronze in the absolute kumite category.
Making her international debut, 11-year-old Barbara Tavadze captured gold in the girls’ 11-12 years old individual kumite absolute weight division and silver in the +45 kg individual kumite category.
The Georgian team’s strong performance highlighted the country’s growing prominence in international karate competitions.
