This week, the European Championship Shinkyokushin will be held in Poland! As mention before, adding new categories has not only increased the number of athletes in the tournament – but we are looking forward to some new match up between fighters that has been in separate categories previous years. Some of the strong profiles are retired, but we are also very happy to see the next generation really steps up! And of course some “immortal” are still going strong!

If we should pull out one of the categories that we tough a little higher of – it would be the -65 kg category. With 16 fighters the category is the largest one,and with a peak at the line up this is “the most merited” category – if e can put it that way. About ten nations are in, and the mix between established and “new-blood” are very visible. And this has been a “red tread” through the whole tournament.

Let start with reign European Champions and podium holders.

Note: Last minutes change? Just after posting this article, Andreea Merca, Romania, switched category and are now to find in the over 65 kg. If this is correct this category will loose one of the strong contenders to the podium.

As we remember dynamite comes in small packages, reign European Champion  Andreea Merca, Romania took the tittle last year, in under 60 kg category. After a very hard and even final the young promising fighter took the tittle. But maybe the biggest bomb was in her second fight where Gabija Gudeliauskaitė, Lithuania, had to leave the tournament for the “newcomer” That said we should not be surprised if this set up raises the roof this year, Gudeliauskaitė vs Merca could happen again, and we believe if so, the medals are at stake. 

Gabija Gudeliauskaitė reached 2nd place in EC 2014 (Azerbaijan) Since then she have shown very good fighting in various tournaments around the world. 3rd lace in the World Cup in 2013 (now known as the World Championship in Weight categories) Lastly she fought her way into the World Championship final KWU, and became the vice champion. It could be this time that it will be the top spot, late results shows good possibilities for that. That said, top level EC WKO/EKO has shown top world level all around in other organizations, so top spot one place do not necessary means top spot other places.

Romania and Lithuania have both two fighters in, and besides Merca and Gudeliauskaitė as we have mention, Romania have the runner up in U-22 EC from last year: Patricia Farcas. And Lithuania have Aneta Meškauskienė. Meškauskienė has been representing IFK Ireland the latest year, and therefore been fighting mainly in IFK/KWU tournaments. Now participating in the Lithuanian nationals and qualifying by a 2nd place. Reading the merits,Meškauskienė would be the most merited with several good IFK/KWU tournaments and long experience from fighting at a top level!

Romania and Lithuania have both two fighters in, and besides Merca and Gudeliauskaitė as we have mention, Romania have the runner up in U-22 EC from last year: Patricia Farcas. And Lithuania have Aneta Meškauskienė. Meškauskienė has been representing IFK Ireland the latest year, and therefore been fighting mainly in IFK/KWU tournaments. Now participating in the Lithuanian nationals and qualifying by a 2nd place. Reading the merits,Meškauskienė would be the most merited with several good IFK/KWU tournaments and long experience from fighting at a top level!

How this work, representing two different countries (Ireland in IFK/KWU and Lithuania now) do we not have any information of. But if this is possible for some, this will open up for more like this in the future.

Ivanka Deleva, Burlgaria is also one that have moved up a category. Last year she ended 3rd, fighting in the under 60 kg category. Before that she has also reached the EC final in the U-22 division, and became the vice champion in 2014. Ukraine have also two fighters inn this division, both young and will for sure give the category more flavor. Gyongyi Seregely, Hungary, the U-22 champion from 2016 have also made a good transition to the senior level. She did also win the U-20 in Branko Memorial in 2015. lost the same tournament against Swedish fighter Larsson.

Larsson brings in hard aggressive fighting and she is one of two good fighters from Sweden in this EC category. Larsson have a EC U-22 medal noted. Sweden`s second fighter, Cecila Wallin ⇒ has been on the EC podium two times before, 2014 and 2015. Before that she had a very strong U-22 EC record, with three years on the podium. besides that Wallin have several good wins in various tournaments.

The home-team from Poland have three fighters (one extra as the host)  The level of Polish fighters are good as we know, and the “red thread” goes through the team. Natalia Korzec, Monika Zielińska and Dobrosława Habraszka. Korzec – the newcomer, just entered the senior division with many strong results from junior (as EC, Carpathia Cup and more) Monika Zielińska – (U-22 Champion 2016) and the veteran Dobrosława Habraszka, been fighting longer than her teammates have lived! If we for fun take a trip back ten years, she became the runner up in the World Championship weight categories (IKO1) in Japan (Dobroslawa Soltysik at the time) -if not mistaken.

As said, this will be a very interesting category with all factors that we want to have!