Turkey wins two gold medals at the European Karate Championship

Turkish athletes clinched two gold, three silver and four bronze medals on the opening day of the 54^th European Karate Championship held in Mexico's Guadalajara on Saturday.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated Merve Çoban and Uğur Aktaş, who each won a gold medal in the women's kumite under 61 kilograms and men's kumite under 84 kilograms divions respectively.

Çoban and Aktaş became the first Turkish athletes to win gold medals in this year's European Karate Championship.

Çoban earned her first European title after winning against Ukraine's Anita Serogina.

Aktaş won a bronze medal in the same competition last year.

Turkey's women's team, represented by Yıldız Aras, Meltem Hocaoğlu, Eda Eltemur and Merve Çoban, won a silver medal after a 2-1 defeat in a final match against Ukraine.

Ali Sofuğlu, another Turkish athlete, also won a silver medal after a close defeat against Spain's Hugo Quintero Capdevila.

Tuba Yakan also secured a silver medal after a match against Luxembourg's Jennifer Warling.

Meanwhile, Meltem Hocaoğlu, Serap Özçelik Arapoğlu, Eray Şamdan and Dilara Eltemur claimed bronze medals in the championship.