Israel wins seven medals at Abu Dhabi kickboxing World Championships

Israel’s kickboxing team returned from the Abu Dhabi World Championships with seven medals, highlighted by Yulia Sachkov’s gold.

The Israeli kickboxing delegation enjoyed a strong showing at the World Championships in Abu Dhabi, returning home with seven medals at the conclusion of the competition. This year’s event featured around 2,000 athletes from approximately 85 countries.

Yulia Sachkov (52 kg) led the Israeli contingent with a gold medal after defeating her Czech opponent in the final, capping an exceptional year in which the 26-year-old also won the European Championship and triumphed at the World Games. Osayd Gouda (75 kg), the reigning World Games champion, sustained an injury to his right hand during the tournament but continued to compete, reaching the final and earning silver after falling to a Spanish fighter.

Yosef Aybezli also delivered an impressive performance, advancing to the final against an opponent from Azerbaijan and securing a silver medal. Additional podium finishes came from Polina Grossman (72 kg), a World Games silver medalist who placed third, as well as from Osid Khatib (67 kg), Guy Hajaj (73.5 kg), and Rana Matanes (60 kg), each of whom claimed bronze.

Arik Kaplan, president of the AYELET Federation for non-Olympic sports, praised the team’s efforts.

“An excellent championship for our athletes. Everyone arrived prepared, invested tremendous effort, and delivered impressive results. Kudos to the coaches for their outstanding work. We have finished an excellent year for the sport, we are proud of them, and we will continue moving forward.”

Israel Kickboxing Federation president Hani Sakas added that the organization works year-round to support coaches and competitors and expressed joy and pride in the delegation’s achievements.

'Bring so much pride to the State of Israel': Hani Sakas

"I am happy that we were able to bring so much pride to the State of Israel,” said Sakas.