RIYADH: The Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games ended on Monday with Ukraine coming first with 53 medals (21 gold), followed by Saudi Arabia with 51 (12), Kazakhstan with 48 (12), Independent Neutral Athletes with 18 (11), and France with 25 (10).
Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, vice president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, thanked the organizing committee and volunteers for making the event a success. The competition ran from Oct. 20 to 30.
In the Muay Thai men’s division, Mohamed Touizi from the UAE won the 57 kg category with Iran’s Masuod Adbolmaleki clinching the 63.5 kg division. Other winners were Morocco’s Hamza Rachid (67 kg), Independent Neutral Athlete Konstantin Shakhtarin (71 kg), Saudi Arabia’s Inad Baowaydhan (75 kg), Iraq’s Mustafa Raad Shakir Al-Tekreeti (81 kg), and Independent Neutral Athlete Gadzhi Medzhidov (91 kg).
In the women’s Muay Thai finals the winners were Saudi Arabia’s Hattan Alsaid (45 kg), Thailand’s Nirawan Tangchio (48 kg), Slovakia’s Monika Chochlikova (51 kg), Poland’s Martyna Kierczynska (54 kg), Australia’s Bryony Soden (57 kg), Turkiye’s Kubra Kocakus (60 kg), and Australia’s Elizabeth Zoe (63.6 kg).
In Taekwondo the men’s winner was the Philippines’ Darius Venerable (9.280 points), with the women’s title taken by Korea’s Yeaeun Cha (9.280).
In the mixed Kyorugi teams Korea secured gold in a decisive 75-53 win against Morocco.
In the men’s Savate Assaut, the winner was France’s Johan Ghassiri (70 kg), while the women’s winners were from France — Rim Ridane (60 kg) and Andrea Campoverde (70 kg).
In men’s Combat, the winners were all from France — Elias Kanfouah (60 kg), Amine Feddal (70 kg), and Christopher Brugiroux (85 kg). In the women’s Combat, the winners were Bulgaria’s Aleksandra Dimitrova (52 kg), and Croatia’s Karmella Makelja (60 kg).
In the Savate 70 kg category Brian Francois, who took silver after being defeated by France’s Fanny Serena, praised the organizers for a “top-notch” competition; and that he was proud to do so well in his first combat games.
In Kendo, fans were entertained with a variety of demonstration events.
