Canada Sends 35 Athletes to 2026 WKF World Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships in Poland
Karate Canada is proud to announce the team selected to represent Canada at the 2026 WKF World Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships, taking place October 14 to 18, 2026, in Bielsko-Biala, Poland. A total of 35 Canadian athletes will compete across Cadet, Junior, and U21 divisions in both Kata and Kumite.
The championships are among the most prestigious events on the international karate calendar for developing athletes, bringing together the next generation of elite competitors from across the globe under the World Karate Federation (WKF) banner.
“Watching our Cadet, Junior, and U21 athletes step onto the world stage is always a proud moment for our federation,” said Rodney Hobson, Karate Canada Sport Technical Leader. “These young competitors have worked incredibly hard to earn their spot, and I know they will represent Canada with skill, dedication, and the spirit of our sport.”
For the first time in WKF history, the entire competition – from the opening elimination rounds through to the medal bouts will be streamed live and free of charge on the official WKF YouTube channel (youtube.com/@WKFKarateWorldChamps). Fans across Canada can watch every match without a subscription or paywall.
TEAM CANADA ROSTER
The following 35 athletes will represent Canada at the 2026 WKF World Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships:
| Category | Division | Athlete |
| Cadet | Kata – Female | Charisma Toupin |
| Cadet | Kata – Male | Dean Concepcion |
| Cadet | Kumite – F -47 kg | Genesis Reid |
| Cadet | Kumite – F -54 kg | Maya Edwards |
| Cadet | Kumite – F -61 kg | Arousha Monazami |
| Cadet | Kumite – F +61 kg | Laila Ismail |
| Cadet | Kumite – M -52 kg | Zackari Brazeau |
| Cadet | Kumite – M -57 kg | Seiji Cronje |
| Cadet | Kumite – M -63 kg | Habib Damou Berte |
| Cadet | Kumite – M -70 kg | Nattan Saumure |
| Cadet | Kumite – M +70 kg | Ethan Richard |
| Junior | Kata – Female | Katrina Lee |
| Junior | Kata – Male | Quinton Damian |
| Junior | Kumite – F -48 kg | Emily Chan |
| Junior | Kumite – F -53 kg | Muthuli Rathnayake |
| Junior | Kumite – F -59 kg | Talya Rabiner |
| Junior | Kumite – F -66 kg | Georgia-May Hatto |
| Junior | Kumite – F +66 kg | Mariana Guerrero |
| Junior | Kumite – M -55 kg | Ethan Choi |
| Junior | Kumite – M -61 kg | Manaf Mokdad |
| Junior | Kumite – M -68 kg | Jeremy Tomusange |
| Junior | Kumite – M -76 kg | Kaden Shen |
| Junior | Kumite – M +76 kg | Simon Ihaza |
| U21 | Kata – Male | Manic Noel |
| U21 | Kata – Female | Tiffany Jiloca |
| U21 | Kumite – F -50 kg | Emmi German |
| U21 | Kumite – F -55 kg | Kiara De La Rosa |
| U21 | Kumite – F -61 kg | Anisha Nijjar |
| U21 | Kumite – F -68 kg | Donya Movaffagh |
| U21 | Kumite – F +68 kg | Indiana Carlyle-Byford |
| U21 | Kumite – M -60 kg | Niayesh Haftlang |
| U21 | Kumite – M -67 kg | Abdessalam Kerdoussi |
| U21 | Kumite – M -75 kg | Younesse Talhi |
| U21 | Kumite – M -84 kg | Omar Almishri |
| U21 | Kumite – M +84 kg | Ilya Makarov |
TEAM OFFICIALS & SUPPORT STAFF
| Role | Name |
| President | Craig Vokey |
| Executive Director | Chris Bright |
| Sport Technical Leader | Rodney Hobson |
| Therapist | Clare Richard |
| Team Manager | Rooz Movaffagh |
| Coach | Marianne Boule |
| Coach | Mitch German |
| Coach | Rock Guindon |
| Coach | Pam Ross |
| Coach | Randy Rix |
| Coach | Toshi Uchiage |
| Referee | Trevor Walmsley |
| Referee | Djibril Ba |
| Referee | Samir Baccouche |
| Referee | Maryam Kermani |
| Referee | Shirin Davarpanah Jazi |
| Referee | Maria Salmeron Garcia |
| Referee | Dana Faraj |
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Canadians can follow Team Canada at the 2026 WKF World Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships through Karate Canada’s official social media channels and the WKF YouTube channel, where all matches will be streamed live and free from October 14 to 18, 2026.
