Camille Naredo

Kathleya Elaine Bustamante in action in the Karate One-Youth League. Handout/PSC

Kathleya Elaine Bustamante in action in the Karate One-Youth League.

Article (news)

Karate One-Youth League

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1779015520383K. Bustamante 2 blue .JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Kathleya Elaine Bustamante (in blue) in action in the Karate One-Youth League. Handout/PSC" width="960"/>Kathleya Elaine Bustamante (in blue) in action in the Karate One-Youth League. Handout/PSC</div>MANILA -- Francis Erl Jud Abundo and Kathleya Elaine Bustamante delivered for the Philippines at the close of the Karate One-Youth League, Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.After Filipino bets came up short in the first three days of competition, Bustamante scored the country&#x27;s golden breakthrough in beating Australian Ana Jovic, 6-2, to rule the under-14 kumite female -47kg class. A day before celebrating his 13th birthday, the diminutive Abundo overwhelmed Brunei&#x27;s  Azlee Khairi bin Wan Zuraimi 7-0 to rule the under-14 male kumite -40-kilogram class in the meet sanctioned by the World Karate Federation and organized by the Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation, Inc. &quot;This victory feels so good because I have never had this before. This was totally a surprise for me,&quot; said Bustamante. &quot;I am very happy that I did my best to reach this.&quot; A Grade 7 student at the Notre Dame University in General Santo City, Bustamante said she hoped to continue her success in the Palarong Pambansa opening on May 24 in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur where karate will be a demonstration sport. Dean Caleb Montalbo and Alexa Rae Vallesteros added a silver each in settling for runner-up honors in the under-14 male and female divisions of kata.Montalbo narrowly lost 2-3  to Saudi&#x27;s Moayad Alqahtani while Vallesteros was no match for the poise and precision of Japanese Kyoka Okamoto, who took the mint with a 5-0 win. Ashana Geanne Sabote delivered the country&#x27;s first medal, a bronze, nipping Niela Aieza Albano 2-1 in the repechage round in the  kumite female -42kg class,  then Kaylani Vergara outplayed Serbia&#x27;s Andrea Nikolic 4-1 for the second  bronze. Overall, the Philippines garnered two golds, two silvers and two bronze medals to wrap its fruitful campaign in the tournament presented by the Philippine Sports Commission that drew nearly 800 karatekas from 58 countries.

Francis Erl Jud Abundo and Kathleya Elaine Bustamante delivered for the Philippines at the close of the Karate One-Youth League, Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Francis Erl Jud Abundo and Kathleya Elaine Bustamante delivered for the Philippines at the close of the Karate One-Youth League, Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Abundo, Bustamante strike gold at close of Karate One-Youth League tilt

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Abundo, Bustamante strike gold at close of Karate One-Youth League tilt

ABS-CBN News

Published May 17, 2026 07:04 PM PHT

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Karate One Youth League

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