Kenya Dominates African Rivals to Sweep Nearly All Medals at UFAK East Championships

Nyayo National Stadium Indoor Arena was electric at the weekend as Kenya's top karatekas delivered a series of commanding performances as the Union of African Karate Federations (UFAK) Region East Karate Championships came to an end in Nairobi.

David Ngati was the star of the show, capturing double gold in the Senior Men's Individual Kata and Team Kata events. His brilliant display solidified his status as one of the region's premier talents.

Ngati first captivated the home crowd in the individual kata final, where he faced compatriot Daniel Vaati. In a tense showdown decided by judges' flags, Ngati's superior technical precision, rhythm, and power earned him a 3-1 victory. He had earlier secured his spot in the final by narrowly defeating Bernard Kinachu in a similarly close semi-final.

But Ngati's day was far from over. He joined forces with Vaati and Kinachu to form Kenya B for the Team Kata final against a strong Ethiopian squad. The Kenyan trio executed a synchronized and powerful routine, earning a 3-1 flag decision to claim another gold medal. Kenya A finished with the bronze.

An emotional Ngati described the victory as a form of redemption after a disappointing result at the previous championships in Ethiopia.

"I'm so happy, especially with the Kata victory, because I lost it last time in Ethiopia," he said. "I have been training and aiming to get it, and it is my joy that I have made right what went wrong." "I have to keep training hard because my dream is to win gold in the African Games and the World Cup as well," he added.

Kenya's dominance extended to the women's divisions, where Georgina Kanini also secured two gold medals. She first won the Female Senior Individual Kata, with fellow Kenyan Wambui Mwangi taking silver. Kanini then triumphed in a hard-fought Female Senior Kumite 61kg final, defeating compatriot Happiness Nyangate 9-6.

In other senior action, Madagascar’s Revaconarivo Andhy won the Female 55kg Kumite, while Uganda’s Hidhir Ndikumana claimed the Male 67kg Kumite title with a narrow 4-3 victory over Ethiopia's Natanaen Habtamu Taye.

The younger age groups provided some of the day's most dramatic moments. In the Cadet Kata, Ethiopia’s Etsubdick Belay defeated Kenya’s Loley Wambui for the gold. However, Wambui turned the tables in the Cadet Open Weight Kumite final, overpowering Belay 5-1 in a fierce contest that had the crowd roaring.

Ethiopia found more success in the Male Cadet 52kg Kumite, where Tsagagazeab Gosa defeated Kenya’s Januaries Wambua 5-2. Gosa controlled the bout with clinical strikes, holding off a late rally from the energetic Kenyan.

One of the most one-sided victories came in the Female Junior 59kg Kumite final. Kenya’s Flavian Kemunto delivered a masterful performance, dismantling Gloria Kanini 9-0 with an aggressive and technically superior display to clinch the gold medal.

Throughout the event, the passionate home crowd created an intense atmosphere, celebrating every point scored by the Kenyan fighters. The championships served as a powerful showcase of Kenya's rising talent and a statement of its growing dominance in regional karate.

Overall, Kenya ended the competition with a total of 47 medals (16 gold, 22 silver and nine bronze) to assert their dominance with Ethiopia finishing a distant second with eight medals (four gold, one silver and three bronze).

Madagascar were third with five medals (one gold, a silver and three bronze) with Uganda managing four medals, one gold and three bronze.