On the penultimate day of the Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games, fans enjoyed thrilling performances in Kendo, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, and Savate.
The Saudi Muay Thai team had an impressive day, with three contenders advancing to the finals in their weight divisions.
In the Savate competition, three champions were awarded gold medals, and the quarterfinal rounds for the remaining categories set the stage for tomorrow’s finals.
Taekwondo featured the Mixed Pair Poomsae finals, and Kendo showcased the Mixed Individual Wheelchair finals.
The day concluded with the distribution of six gold medals, one from Taekwondo, two from Kendo, and three from Savate. Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Saudi Arabia emerged as the leaders in the gold medal count, with 21, 12, and nine medals, respectively.
Savate is a French martial art that combines European boxing techniques with kicks, featuring controlled, technical strikes in Assaut and full-contact, power-driven blows in Combat. The third discipline, Canne de Combat, incorporates a wooden cane in a strategic combat sequence.
In Taekwondo, Korea’s S. Park and K. Song dominated the mixed pair Poomsae finals.
Muay Thai, known as the “Art of Eight Limbs,” had thrilling semifinal matches in both men’s and women’s weight divisions.
Kendo, often called the “way of the sword,” saw Japan’s Kenshiro Matsuzaki and Maika Senoo secure victories in the individual categories. The closing day of the Games will feature Kendo demonstrations and team exhibitions, showcasing unique styles and techniques.
The Games are heading towards their grand finale, and fans are eagerly anticipating the remaining championship clashes.
