Youssef Badawy

In February 2019, Badawy won his first continental gold medal at The African Championship in Marrakech, Morocco. A month later, he contended at The Arab Championship for Clubs, winning the bronze medal in the kumite team event. During the same year in May, he won the gold medal in the men’s kumite +76 kg event at the Karate1 Youth League held in Limassol, Cyprus, and, in August, he won the bronze medal in the men’s team kumite at The African Games held in Rabat, Morocco. A few months later, he was ready to vie for a medal at the Junior, Cadet and U21 World Karate Championship held in Santiago, Chile, at which he claimed his first world bronze medal.[3]

In February 2020, before COVID-19 outbreak, he won the silver medal in the men’s team kumite event at the African Championship in Tangier, Morocco.

Badawy vs Nabil Ech-Chaabi at Moscow Karate1 Premier League final

In April 2021, after the hiatus foisted by the karate events suspension due to COVID, he made his first premier league participation for the season in Lisbon, Portugal.[4] Badawy competed with Male Kumite -84 kg category’s best bets and swept the two premier leagues held at the thick of the season. He made his senior debut in September at Egypt’s Karate 1 Premier League with a gold medal,[5] and at the premier league that followed in Moscow, he carried another gold medal back home after keeping a clean sheet throughout his five rounds.[6][7] He promised on Instagram that it would not be the last gold medal.[8]

Badawy was one of the youngest contenders in the tournament. He started off with a win against Ivan Kvesić, one-time 2018 world champion, and upstaged renowned karate pros. At the semi-final bout, Badawy bumped heads with Jessie Da Costa who outmatched with a single point almost till the end. Badawy’s national team coach Mohamed Abdelrahman requested a VR at the 0:04 second which stalled the announcement of the bout end and provided Badawy with a final chance. Badawy signed off an emotive last-second Yuko to even the score 2-2 and win the bout by Senshu privilege.[9][10]

After an indecisive final between Badawy and Fabián Huaiquimán, the bout ended with a score tie 6-6 and the nullification of Badawy’s Senshu. Badawy was proclaimed the winner by Hantei after a consensus among the five judges.

Badawy scoring his closing punch for the qualifying bout
Egypt
BOUT	CONTENDER	NATIONALITY	RESULT
1st Bout	Ivan Kvesić	Croatia	5/4
2nd Bout	Othman Majeed Shvan	Iraq	10/0
3rd Bout	Diego Silva	Brazil	6/2
Quarter Final	Faraj Alnashri	Saudi Arabia	7/5
Semi Final	Jessie Da Costa	France	2/2
Final	Fabián Huaiquimán	Chile	6/6

He stated that it was an exacting win and attributed his achievement to his family.

He was entitled vice champion at the African Championship held in December in his hometown, Cairo, Egypt.[12] No more than a week later, Badawy competed in Algeria at the Arab Championship, at which he won the bronze medal at the men’s kumite 84 kg event, and the gold medal at the kumite team event.

Following after Dubai World Championship, in December, WKF announced the list of the first qualified athletes, which included Badawy the reigning world champion, for the Karate most anticipated event of the year: 2022 World Games which was held in July in Birmingham, United States. Following in January was Badawy’s ascent to the top 5 athletes in the world ranking for the Male Kumite -84 kg category.

Badawy inaugurated his 2022 season medal count with a gold medal at the Fujairah Karate1 Premier League event after coming across his teammate, Mohamed Ramadan, at an all-Egypt final.[13] In March, he went for playing for Al-Sharjah Sporting Club and placed first at the national Karate General League held in UAE.

Fujairah premier league award ceremony

In May, Badawy made it to the first place in the world ranking of his category. Days later he welcomed another gold medal to his records at Rabat Karate1 Premier League.[14][15]

Outmatching his opponent at the Mediterranean Games semifinal, Badawy received a hard blow to the head that knocked him out for a few seconds. He resumed the bout to win with a 4-1 score despite his condition. He was then moved to the hospital for a checkup, and the Egyptian Olympic Committee stated that he will not play the final for the sake of his safety. Abdel Fattah al-Najjar, head coach of the Egyptian Karate team, confirmed that Badawy underwent a crying fit on being notified of his imminent official disqualification from the final match and surprised everyone by insisting on playing the final with a promise that the gold medal is Egypt's. He played at the final and won the gold medal with a 6-4 score.[16]

Competing against the best seven players in the world, Badawy started off with a win against the Moroccan champion Nabil Ech-Chaabi then another one against the Dutchman champion Brian Timmermans to be qualified to vie against Ivan Kvesić in the semifinal. Badawy had to clash with Nabil Ech-Chaabi for a second time in the tournament at the final at which he pulled off a last-second victory by signing an offensive Yuko after the annulment of Ech-Chaabi's Senshu to balance the score 6-6 and win by Hantei.[17]

In September, Badawy achieved the gold medal at the last premier league of the 2022 season which was held in Baku, Azerbijan.[18][19] In October, Badawy played for Al Nassr Sporting Club at the national league for teams and placed 1st. For the finale of the 2022 season, Badawy seized the continental title of African Champion at The African Championship held in Durban, South Africa with a clean sheet throughout his four rounds and won the gold medal for the kumite team event as well.[20][21]

Badawy had a rough start for the 2023 season as he had to sit out the Karate Premier League held in his hometown, Cairo, Egypt, because of his jaw injury. On January 7, two weeks before the Premier League, Badawy was competing at the Saudi national league when he received a hard blow in the face. He was diagnosed with a jaw dislocation and had to undergo a surgery, hindering his participation in any combat during his recovery period.[22]

He preserved his seat on the throne of the world ranking for the months of January, March, and May. [23] [24] [25] [26] In July, Badawy featured his first seminar and training camp in Stockholm, Sweden. [27] In August, Badawy celebrated his return for the 2023 season with a gold medal at the individual and team event at the African Championship in Casablanca, Morocco.[28][29]