Adding another stellar achievement to his international resume, Hazem Ahmed delivered a dominant campaign on the mat, kicking off his tournament run with an emphatic 8-0 victory over Mao Cody, followed by a commanding 7-2 win against Tsutsui Edison in the semi-finals. In a hard-fought championship match, Ahmed secured the title with a clean 2-0 victory over Padalka Vitaly.
“Winning this gold medal in the United States is an incredible milestone,” Ahmed said. “But what made this experience truly special was sharing our Egyptian karate methodology with over 250 athletes during our training camps in Florida and California. The energy, respect, and passion I saw on the mat reaffirmed my drive as I prepare to represent Egypt on the world stage in China this November.”
The gold medal collected from the tournament which was held from July 16 to 20 in Washington state, comes on the heels of an exceptionally successful tour across the US. Beyond competing, Ahmed spearheaded two elite development camps in Florida and California, coaching over 250 athletes alongside numerous national coaches. The well-attended camps highlighted the rising global demand for Egyptian karate expertise and underscored Ahmed’s growing international reputation both as an athlete and a mentor.
Born in Alexandria in 2002, Ahmed began practising karate at just four years old. A mainstay of Egypt’s national karate team since 2016, he usually competes internationally in the men’s +84 kg Kumite category. His standout international accolades include winning gold at the 2019 WKF World Junior Championships in Santiago, Chile, a triumph that earned him the prestigious First Class Order of the Republic for Sport, conferred by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi.
Looking ahead, Ahmed is setting his sights on the World Team Championships scheduled for November in China where he aims to cement his status among the global elite of karate champions.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 30 July, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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