After emerging as the grand winner of the Venice Cup, world no. one e-kata karateka James De Los Santos collected not just one but three golds as three tournaments turned in their results Tuesday morning.
This is the first time the veteran internationalist bagged three titles in a single day and as such will further boost his stock in the world rankings before the year closes in three weeks’ time.
The two-time ISKF champion showed his wares in the said karate style after asserting his mastery over South Africa’s Silvio Cerone-Biagioni in the finals of the third edition of E-Karate Games, 25.5-23.6, both with Unsu, to take his 27th gold. He received a bye into the final as the top seed.
De Los Santos also added minutes later his 28th title with a win over Switzerland’s Matias Moreno-Domont, 25.3 in Unsu over the latter’s 23.6 in Ohan. The 30-year-old Filipino earlier took down Great Britain’s Yusuf Shauq and also Cerone-Biagioni in the first two rounds to reach another final.
The two-time Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist then completed the hat-trick with a sweep of his matches in the Rome International Endas Karate Cup.
De Los Santos dominated all his opponents in the said tournament including Alfredo Bustamante of the USA, 25.1 of Unsu against 24 of Anan. He also defeated first-time opponents in German Christian Stengl, 24.8 (Gojushiho Sho) to 21.3 (Tekki Shodan), in the quarterfinals, and Italy’s own Davide Zompa, 24.6-23 both with Sansai.
Fatima Al-Isha Hamsain joined her mentor in the victory ride as she almost made it a gold also in the Euro Grand Prix. The 14-year-old narrowly lost to Australian Keira Sanft, 23.3 in Suparinpei to 24 in Unsu, to take the silver in the Female U18 category.
