Sport Karate Coalition at the WKA World Karate Championships in Malta 27–29 March 2026!
Updated: 20 hours ago
Whenever I think about Malta, wonderful memories of previous visits to this beautiful island immediately come flooding back. Every visit has been connected by one special thing: karate, international competition, great people and unforgettable sporting experiences. This year’s trip was no exception. In fact, it gave us even more reasons to smile, plenty of new experiences and memories that will stay with us for a long time. From 27–29 March 2026, 14 athletes from Sport Karate Coalition had the opportunity to represent our club at the WKA (WORLD KARATE-DO ALLIANCE) World Karate Championships in Malta.
Before sharing our competition experiences and medal achievements, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Krzysztof Chałupka from IKA Poland, who helped register our team for this championship. Thanks to his support and involvement, we were able to take part in this prestigious international event and compete on the world stage. Krzysztof, thank you very much!
The journey begins – our Maltese adventure As usual, our journey began with a meeting at London Luton Airport. With a group of more than 24 people, including athletes and parents, we arranged to meet three hours before departure.Check-in went smoothly, the flight was comfortable, and everything went according to plan.
Upon arrival in Malta, our transfer was waiting to take us to the hotel.After checking into our rooms and settling in, we headed out for a short walk along the coast. Of course, we couldn’t resist combining our walk with a little training by the sea!The weather throughout our stay was absolutely beautiful – clear blue skies, sunshine and hardly any wind. We couldn’t have asked for better conditions.After our walk and training session, we returned to the hotel for dinner before heading back to our rooms for some well-deserved rest. Two busy days of competition were waiting for us!Day One – the youngest athletes take centre stageThe following morning began with breakfast at the hotel, followed by our transfer to the sports arena. The first day was dedicated mainly to our youngest karate athletes, who competed in individual and team events in both kata and kumite. From the very beginning, the atmosphere was full of excitement. There were smiles, nervous moments, tears, celebrations and plenty of emotions. For our young competitors, this was much more than simply another tournament. It was an opportunity to test their skills against international opponents, gain valuable experience and discover what competing at world championship level really means. Every performance had its own story. Every kata, every fight and every result reflected the hard work, dedication and commitment put in during training. As a coach, watching our young athletes step onto the competition floor, face their challenges and support one another was incredibly rewarding. We returned to the hotel tired but very happy with the performances and results. There was certainly no shortage of conversation on the way back! Everyone had something to share, a fight to discuss or a moment they wanted to relive. These are the moments that remind us that karate is about so much more than medals.Day Two – representing Sport Karate Coalition. On the second day, the children and their parents went on a full-day sightseeing trip around Malta.Meanwhile, my club colleague Michel and I headed back to the sports arena to proudly represent Sport Karate Coalition in our respective events. It was another day full of challenges, excitement and valuable experiences. Competing at this level gives you a different perspective on your own abilities. It allows you to recognise what you are doing well, identify areas that need improvement and, most importantly, learn lessons that you can take back into the dojo. Winning is always a fantastic feeling, but sport is also about learning from difficult moments, analysing your performance and returning to training with even greater determination. We certainly came away with plenty to think about and even more motivation for the future.
Our medal-winning achievements
Our team achieved an excellent set of results at the championships.
Based on the individual and team achievements listed below, and counting each shared team medal only once, our medal tally stands at:
🥇 7 Gold Medals
🥈 4 Silver Medals
🥉 8 Bronze Medals
19 medals in total!
Here are the achievements of our medal-winning athletes.
Jacek Lipiński
🥇 Gold – Individual Kumite, Veterans.
🥇 Gold – Team Kumite, Veterans (Jacek, Krzysztof, Sid and Michel).
🥇 Gold – Senior Bunkai Kata Team (Jacek, Krzysztof and Piotr).
🥈 Silver – Senior Team Kumite (Jacek, Benjamin and Bartek).
🥉 Bronze – Veterans Team Kata (Jacek, Krzysztof and Piotr).
Michel Niski
🥉 Bronze – Individual Kumite, Veterans.
🥇 Gold – Team Kumite, Veterans (Jacek, Krzysztof, Sid and Michel).
Nikola Wachal
🥇 Gold – Individual Kumite, Cadets.
Krystyna Zielińska
🥉 Bronze – Individual Kumite, Children.
🥉 Bronze – Team Kata (Krystyna, Marina and Veronika).
🥉 Bronze – Pairs Kata (Krystyna and Veronika).
Tymon Mastyga
🥈 Silver – Individual Kumite, Children.
🥉 Bronze – Individual Kata, Children.
Liliana Szczecina
🥇 Gold – Individual Kumite, Children.
🥈 Silver – Team Kata (Liliana, Sarah and Alicia).
🥉 Bronze – Pairs Kata (Liliana and Sarah).
Veronika Horbachuk
🥉 Bronze – Individual Kumite, Children.
🥉 Bronze – Team Kata (Veronika, Krystyna and Marina).
🥉 Bronze – Pairs Kata (Veronika and Krystyna).
Alicia Przetakowska
🥇 Gold – Individual Kumite, Children.
🥈 Silver – Team Kata (Alicia, Liliana and Sarah).
Anthony Wachal
🥇 Gold – Individual Kata, Children.
Nico Wieczorek
• 🥈 Silver – Individual Kata, Children.
More than medals – one team, one family. Looking back at this trip as a coach, I see much more than 19 medals. I see athletes who gave their very best, young competitors gaining their first international experiences, parents supporting their children every step of the way, and a group of people who came together to create something truly special. First and foremost, I would like to congratulate every single athlete. Regardless of the medal or final position, each of you played an important part in this experience. I am extremely proud of your courage, determination, commitment and the way you represented our club. A huge thank you also goes to all the parents. Your support, patience, time and dedication make trips like this possible. I know how much organisation and effort goes into travelling with such a large group, and it never goes unnoticed. Special thanks also go to our second coach, Michel, for his commitment, support and teamwork throughout the championship. And there is one thing I would particularly like to emphasise.On this trip, we were one team. We supported each other, celebrated each other’s successes, shared the difficult moments and stood together throughout the entire experience. That is exactly what Sport Karate Coalition should be about – not only inside the dojo or on the competition floor, but also outside it. Medals are a wonderful reward for hard work, but the real achievement is the team spirit, friendship and mutual respect that we build along the way. We return from Malta with 19 medals according to our team results, new experiences, plenty of motivation and memories that will stay with us for years to come. To all our athletes, parents and coaches: thank you for being part of this journey. I am incredibly proud to be part of such a fantastic team. Together we are stronger. Together we achieve more.
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