The Israeli kickboxing team enjoyed another triumphant day at the World Games in Chengdu, China, adding two gold medals and one silver to the delegation’s tally, which stands at 14 (6 golds, 4 silver and 4 bronze).
Thursday's podium successes came just one day after Shaked Nisimian claimed gold in women’s combat sambo, Nili Block earned bronze, and the same trio of Yulia Sachkov, Jodah Osaid, and Polina Grossman secured their spots in the kickboxing finals.
Sachkov, 27, the reigning European champion in the under-52kg category, defeated reigning world champion Klara Strnadová of the Czech Republic in a dominant 3-0 performance. The matchup was highly personal: Strnadová entered with a near-perfect career record of roughly 97% wins, with just four losses – three of them to Sachkov.
Their head-to-head history stood at 4-3 in favor of the Czech, though one of those wins came when Sachkov withdrew due to injury. This time, the Israeli fighter controlled all three rounds from start to finish, capturing the gold medal she had been targeting for the past eight years.
Silver medals won
Osaid, 25, the world and European silver medalist in the under-75kg division, claimed gold after a tense and evenly matched bout against Bulgaria’s Dimitar Stoyanov. Osaid edged the first round 3-0 on the judges’ scorecards, though the lead was slim. Stoyanov rallied in the second round to level the score at 0-0 and even pulled ahead briefly. But in the decisive third round, Osaid surged ahead, opening a clear gap and sealing another 3-0 victory for Israel.
Grossman, 26, competing in the under-72kg category, faced Portugal’s Catarina Diaz in a close, hard-fought final. Diaz held the edge in the first round before Grossman equalized in the second. The Portuguese fighter regained the lead in the final round, ultimately taking the match 2-1 and leaving Grossman with the silver medal.
Though disappointed to miss out on gold, Grossman vowed to continue working hard, already setting her sights on the next Games in Germany.