Youssef Badawy

Youssef Badawy (Arabic: يوسف بدوي, born 6 August 2001) is an Egyptian karateka and a world-classed champion. He won the gold medal in the men's kumite 84 kg event at the 2021 World Karate Championships held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[1][2] In 2019, he won the bronze medal in the men's kumite 84 kg event at the World Cadet, Junior & Under 21 Championships in Chile, marking his debut at the Worlds and introducing himself as a candidate for the World Champion title.

Youssef Badawy
End of 2021 World Karate Championships semi-final bout, declaring Badawy a finalist
Personal information
Full nameYoussef Emad Mahmoud Abdelhameed Badawy
Born (2001-08-06) August 6, 2001
Cairo, Egypt
Sport
CountryEgypt
SportKarate
Weight class-84 kg
Event(s)Kumite
Coached by
Achievements and titles
World finalsGold medal in men's kumite 84 kg
Regional finals
Highest world ranking1st
Medal record
Men's karate
Representing  Egypt
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Dubai Kumite 84 kg
Junior, Cadet & U21 World Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Chile Kumite 84 kg
World Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Birmingham Kumite 84 kg
African Championship
Gold medal – first place 2023 MoroccoKumite 84 kg
Gold medal – first place 2023 MoroccoKumite Team
Gold medal – first place 2022 South AfricaKumite 84 kg
Gold medal – first place 2022 South AfricaKumite Team
Silver medal – second place 2021 EgyptKumite 84 kg
Gold medal – first place 2021 EgyptKumite Team
Silver medal – second place 2020 Morocco Kumite Team
Gold medal – first place 2019 MoroccoKumite +76 kg
African Games
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Morocco Kumite Team
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Oran Kumite 84 kg
Arab Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Algeria Kumite 84 kg
Gold medal – first place 2021 Algeria Kumite Team
Karate1 Premier League
Gold medal – first place 2022 Baku Kumite 84 kg
Gold medal – first place 2022 Rabat Kumite 84 kg
Gold medal – first place 2022 Fujairah Kumite 84 kg
Gold medal – first place 2021 Moscow Kumite 84 kg
Gold medal – first place 2021 Egypt Kumite 84 kg
Karate1 Youth League
Gold medal – first place 2019 Cyprus Kumite +76 kg

Early experience

Inspired by his brother, who is also a kumite practitioner, Badawy took karate up at the age of five. He moved to Al Zohour Sporting Club and started making his way in the sport under his coach Mohamed Fathy by contending at the nationals. In 2015, he joined the Egyptian National Team. He made a start on participating internationally by enrolling in cadets’ kumite -63 kg event at Al-Ahli Dubai Open International Championship in 2016 and at The African Championship held in Algeria in 2018.

Career

Warm-up

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.

Preliminaries

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]

World Karate Championship 2021: The breakthrough

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]

"The awaited moment"

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.

"The moment that I have been dreaming of my entire life, which one can never express it; for it is an ineffable feeling. The moment at which one truly values everything he has sacrificed for, and at which every instant of fatigue, pain, frustration, loss, and despair flashes right before his eyes, making him perceive God’s blessing and forget how that all felt once. All the credit goes to my parents; the real heroes and the reason, after God, behind everything."

– Youssef Badawy on standing on the first-place podium of the World Championship.[11]

End season

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.

Golden Season

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]

Mediterranean Games 2022

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]

World Games 2022

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]

Personal life

He is an engineering undergraduate studying at Ain Shams University and has majored in mechanical engineering.

Techniques and skills

He is generally recognized by his on-target kicks and particularly by his known Ura mawashi, which he stated was his favorite move.

Achievements

Competition Results
YEAR COMPETITION VENUE RANK/POSITION EVENT
2019African Championship Zone 1Marrakech  Morocco GoldIndividual +76 kg Kumite
2019Karate 1 Youth LeagueLimassol  Cyprus GoldIndividual +76 kg Kumite
2019African GamesRabat  Morocco BronzeKumite Team
2019Junior, Cadet and U21 World Karate ChampionshipSantiago  Chile BronzeU21 Individual -84 kg Kumite
2020UFAK JUNIOR & SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPSTangier  Morocco SilverKumite Team
2021Karate 1 Premier LeagueCairo  Egypt GoldIndividual -84 kg Kumite
2021Karate 1 Premier LeagueMoscow  ROC GoldIndividual -84 kg Kumite
20212021 World Karate ChampionshipsDubai  United Arab Emirates GoldIndividual -84 kg Kumite
2021UFAK JUNIOR & SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPSCairo  Egypt SilverIndividual -84 kg Kumite
2022Karate 1 Premier LeagueFujairah  United Arab Emirates GoldIndividual -84 kg Kumite
2022Karate 1 Premier LeagueRabat  Morocco GoldIndividual -84 kg Kumite
20222022 Mediterranean GamesOran  Algeria GoldIndividual -84 kg Kumite
20222022 World GamesBirmingham  United States GoldIndividual -84 kg Kumite
2022Karate 1 Premier LeagueBaku  Azerbaijan GoldIndividual -84 kg Kumite
2022UFAK JUNIOR & SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPSDurban  South Africa GoldIndividual -84 kg Kumite
2023UFAK JUNIOR & SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPSCasablanca  Morocco GoldIndividual -84 kg Kumite

Honors and awards

In December 2019, he was bestowed the third-class Order of the Republic by Egypt's president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi for winning his world bronze medal in Chile. The Faculty of Engineering of Ain Shams University honored him for sport excellence and his four international achievements in karate of the 2022 year.[30]

References

  1. Morgan, Liam (20 November 2021). "Kiyuna makes history as Olympic gold medallists retain titles at Karate World Championships". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. Zamorano, Javier (20 November 2021). "Fabián Huaiquimán logró segundo lugar en el Mundial de Karate en Dubái". BioBioChile (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  3. "WKF CADET, JUNIOR & U21 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019 - SANTIAGO RESULTS". Sportdata GmbH & Co KG. 27 October 2019.
  4. "KARATE1 PREMIER LEAGUE - LISBON 2021 (ENTRIES IN MALE KUMITE -84 KG CATEGORY)". Sportdata GmbH & Co KG. 30 April 2021.
  5. "Egyptian karatekas prevail in Karate1Cairo". WKF News. 5 September 2021.
  6. "Olympians lead way to gold on day 2 of Karate1Moscow". WKF News. 2 October 2021.
  7. "KARATE1 PREMIER LEAGUE - MOSCOW 2021 RESULTS". Sportdata GmbH & Co KG 2001. 3 October 2021.
  8. badawy 🇪🇬, Youssef [@youssef.badawy_] (October 3, 2021). "ELHAMDOLELAH ❤️ First place at K1 PREMIER LEAGUE-MOSCOW 2021 -84kg🥇" via Instagram.
  9. "يوسف بدوي بعد تأهله لنهائي بطولة العالم للكاراتيه : فخور بأدائي …والمنافسات لم تكن سهلة". Tatweeg Sports News. 18 November 2021.
  10. Morgan, Liam (16 November 2021). "Zaretska on course to retain title as Egypt impress at Karate World Championships". InsideTheGames.biz.
  11. Badawy, Youssef (January 1, 2022). ""The moment I have been dreaming of my entire life..."(Original Arabic post)". Facebook. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  12. "Hosts of Egypt top medal table of 2021 UFAK Karate Championships". WKF News. 5 December 2021.
  13. Lloyd, Owen (20 February 2022). "Egypt come out on top at Fujairah Karate 1-Premier League leg". InsideTheGames.biz.
  14. Pavitt, Michael (14 May 2022). "Egyptian success continues at Karate 1-Premier League in Rabat". InsideTheGames.biz.
  15. "Egyptian karatekas dominate Karate 1 Premier League Rabat". wkf.net. 15 May 2022.
  16. Houston, Michael (27 June 2022). "Karate victories give Egypt first gold medals of Mediterranean Games". InsideTheGames.biz.
  17. "New Karate heroes crowned at The World Games 2022". wkf.net. 10 July 2022.
  18. Burke, Patrick (4 September 2022). "Hosts Azerbaijan and Japan win three gold medals each at Karate 1-Premier League leg in Baku". InsideTheGames.biz.
  19. Badr, Doaa (17 August 2022). "Youssef Badawy : Occuper la première place est un lourd fardeau". Ahram Hebdo.
  20. "Egypt Prevail on Day 1 of UFAK Championships". WKF.net.
  21. "World champions Youssef and Badawy defend titles at African Karate Championships". WKF.net. 2 December 2022.
  22. السعدني, كريم (25 January 2023). "يوسف بدوي يغيب عن بطولة البريمييرليج للكاراتيه بالقاهرة للإصابة". بوابة الأهرام.
  23. "WKF CURRENT RANKING - OFFICIAL RANKING". 2023 Sportdata GmbH & Co KG. 16 May 2023.
  24. Insights, Karate [@karateinsights] (May 16, 2023). "#male senior categories WKF ranking as of 16.05.2023" via Instagram.
  25. Insights, Karate [@karateinsights] (March 27, 2023). "WKF #Men World ranking as of 27.03.2023" via Instagram.
  26. Insights, Karate [@karateinsights] (January 31, 2023). "The new ranking is online at @sportdatadotorg and @damianquintero claims the #1 spot within the kata category" via Instagram.
  27. "TRAINING CAMP IN SWEDEN". United Sportcenter. 22 February 2023.
  28. "Olympian Abdelaziz Abdalla and World Champions Ahlam Youssef and Youssef Badawy among heroes of Day 2 of UFAK Championships". WKF.net. 19 August 2023.
  29. "UFAK CADET, JUNIOR & SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023 - Casablanca - Results". Sportdata GmbH & Co KG. 20 August 2023.
  30. "THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING HONORS THE STUDENT YOUSSEF EMAD BADAWI FOR SPORTS EXCELLENCE AND INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS IN KARATE". ASU News. 26 July 2022.
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