CAGAYAN de Oro City — A Davao City karate team brought home the overall championship from a national tournament in Valenzuela City, winning 36 medals despite most of its athletes having only four months of training.
Raika Karate Kan’s 11-member squad collected 20 gold, 12 silver and four bronze medals at the Washimekai Karate National 2026: 1st Legacy Cup, held Oct. 23–24 in Valenzuela City, Metro Manila.
Head Dojo Instructor Shihan Teodoro “Odie” Belisario and Coach Mei-mei Nobad guided the team, which drew most of its athletes from the Summer Karate 2026 grassroots program.
Carlvin Matteo Antiporta led the medal haul with three golds and one bronze. He went undefeated in the 12-13 Intermediate and Advanced Kumite Male divisions, improving on his silver and bronze finishes last year.
Dylan Tyler Mallari won two golds, one silver and one bronze, while Jemarie Kristel Nuñez took two golds and one silver. Nuñez also remained undefeated in the Female 10-11 Kata Novice division.
Samantha Regencia added two golds and one silver; Joseph Dongiapon, two golds and two silvers; and Jasmine Tanguanco, three golds.
Zoe Infestan won one gold and four silvers, while Jermaine Tanguanco earned one gold and two bronzes. Belisario took one gold and one silver, Christian Maca won one gold, and Sophia Krishna Nuñez collected two silvers.
Belisario said the athletes prepared for the competition through two additional specialized sessions each week, on top of their regular thrice-weekly training.
Before each bout, he reminded them to remain calm and focused.
“Before a bout, I remind them to stay calm and focused—to approach the moment with a clear mind, almost as if meditating,” Belisario said.
He said the athletes also practiced attacking and countering against their instructors to build confidence before facing opponents.
The club’s coaching staff uses a rotational schedule to provide training suited to both beginners and advanced athletes. Belisario said the national title is an early milestone for its grassroots program, which has more than 30 new beginners from the summer intake.
Raika Karate Kan plans to stage a national tournament in Davao City during Araw ng Dabaw 2027, with the aim of preparing its athletes for possible international competitions later that year.
The club also thanked Washimekai National for inviting the team and recognizing its performance.
