Rebecca Henriquez
@RebeHenriquez
El Salvador continues to stand out in the Karate discipline, and the Salvadoran athlete Sofía Orantes has stood out in the top 5 of the U21 World Ranking of the World Karate Federation (WKF), in Kumite -50 kilograms, which positioned her as the best karateka from America, along with Croatia, Algeria, Ukraine, among others. Orantes rubs shoulders with the considered #1 in the ranking, the Croatian Ema Sgardelli, Cylia Ouikene, from Algeria, Valeriia Sergaieva, from Ukraine and Akniyet Sherizat, from Kazakhstan, is fourth, the Salvadoran is the only one from the region who achieved a podium in the top 5 of this martial arts sport.
“As a federation we are very happy because, step by step, we have been moving forward. With this type of news we confirm that we are climbing steps and that the massification programs are giving their results,” said Oswaldo Mata, president of the Salvadoran Karate Federation (FSK).
“Our athletes have managed to not only attract the attention of international authorities, but also national ones and the INDES has supported us unconditionally and that fills us with great joy,” Mata stressed.
The athlete expressed her enthusiasm for standing out in the ranking, and said that although she is not in the Youth League, in Fujaira in the United Arab Emirates, she has maintained her position, and is happy with the results and satisfied with the effort but will continue to lift the Salvadoran flag at events.
Since October of last year, Orantes has remained within the top 10 of the ranking and now had a significant rise in the discipline that classified her as one of the best, not only in the Central American area, since within the top 10, apart from La Salvadoran, only Colombia stands out, with Sofía Cárdenas, in the tenth box.
In the top 20, apart from the Colombian, Mireia Bizuete, from Spain, stands out in box 13, and Mexico with Emilia Salinas, in position 18.
In the last year, the Salvadoran karate fighter won a bronze medal in kumite -50 kg senior at the 2024 Central American and Caribbean championship, in addition to two gold medals in the same event in kumite -50 kg U21 and another in kata by teams
The technical manager of the FSK, William Serrano, confirmed that Orantes will face approximately commitments that include events in the senior category, for example in the senior Pan American karate tournament, also in the youth Pan American tournament in Sao Paulo and the Youth League in Cancun, Mexico.
The beginnings of karateka date back to the under 21 Pan American championship in Santiago, Chile in 2023, in which the Salvadoran won the medal for third place and also won a gold medal in karate 1 Youth League in Mérida, Mexico, two events that forged the character of the blue and white athlete and now the fruits are blooming by being top 5 in the U21 World Ranking.
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