The 2026 Oceania Championships officially commenced today at the MSAC Arena in Melbourne, Australia, with the kata competition opening three days of judo action from Friday 17 to Sunday 19 April.
Day 1 brought together kata athletes from Australia and New Zealand, with 12 pairs competing across six kata: U18 Nage no Kata, Nage no Kata, Katame no Kata, Kime no Kata, Ju no Kata, and Kodokan Goshin Jutsu.
The Oceania Judo Union congratulates all kata competitors on their performances and contribution to a strong opening day of the championships. The standard of presentation, commitment, and technical execution reflected the continued development of kata across the Oceania region.
In the U18 Nage no Kata Final, Australia’s Tania Chen and Alicia Wang claimed the gold medal.
The pair continued their successful day in the senior Nage no Kata Final, again taking gold, ahead of fellow Australians Paul Nelson and Ben Underwood, who secured silver.
In the Katame no Kata Final, Australia’s Yutaka Wakamatsu and Nicholas Mackey won gold, with New Zealand’s Arya Zale and Andy Hata claiming silver.
New Zealand recorded gold in the Kime no Kata Final, with Neisha Brooking and Palilavong Phouphayly finishing first.
In the Ju no Kata Final, Australia’s Matle Fung and Edmund Yuen won gold, while fellow Australians Roy Worner and Tahlia Blackman earned silver.
The Kodokan Goshin Jutsu Final saw New Zealand’s Sam Manu and Palilavong Phouphayly take gold. Australia’s Nicholas Mackey and Yutaka Wakamatsu secured silver, while New Zealand’s Jason White and Matt Dyer claimed bronze. Australia’s Tahlia Blackman and Roy Worner also competed in the division.
The OJU extends its sincere thanks to the OJU Kata Commission, including Mr Bill Vincent and Ernie Wakamatsu, together with the OJU kata judges, for their work in delivering a phenomenal kata competition on Day 1 of the 2026 Oceania Championships.
The championships continue tomorrow with the commencement of the shiai competition, featuring cadet and junior men and women from across Oceania.