• Bsharat beat Spain’s Noa Lopez Gonzalez 3-1 to win gold in the women’s under-66kg kumite final.
• She advanced to the final by getting past her Japanese opponent in the semifinal.
• She sits atop the World Karate Federation rankings in the junior women’s under-66kg category.
• It is her second straight world title in the event.

Palestinian karateka Maryam Bsharat retained her world crown on Saturday, claiming gold in the women’s under-66kg kumite at the World Cadet, Junior and U21 Karate Championships in Bielsko-Biała, Poland.

Bsharat defeated Spain’s Noa Lopez Gonzalez 3-1 in the final, completing a strong run through the bracket. She had earlier overcome her Japanese opponent to reach the gold-medal bout.

The win makes her a back-to-back world champion, after she also took the title at the previous edition of the championship. She currently leads the World Karate Federation (WKF) rankings in the junior women’s under-66kg category.

Bsharat has built a consistent record at world and Asian championships as well as on the Youth League circuit, and her latest triumph underlines Palestine’s growing presence in international karate.