Filipino karateka James delos Santos nailed the world’s highest mark in online kata as he bagged his 17th international gold on Monday, October 26 in the Katana InterContinental Karate Leauge e-Tournament.

Delos Santos recorded a 26.1 in the final against Costa Rica’s Juan Achio (25.1) in the seniors e-kata event.

“In the final round, I faced Costa Rica and snagged the gold medal. Not only that, but I won it as the first eKata player to ever score over 26.
To my kata coach, Masa Saito, this is a record for us,” said Delos Santos.

This comes after the 30-year-old Filipino eclipsed his rival Eduardo Garcia of Portugal for the the world No. 1 ranking last October 15.

Delos Santos continues to participate in the world online kata events in order to maintain the top post.

Delos Santos earned his world ranking after joining virtual kata tournaments, which kicked off in March 2020.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, only virtual kata tournaments are being held. The athletes send their videos online, which will be judged by referees. – Rappler.com