Polish Open 2026: Natalia Balut's double gold lights up Bielsko-Biała, Ise van Bommel takes bronze

The Polish Open returned to Bielsko-Biała on 20 and 21 June 2026, and as ever it was one of the busiest weekends on the European calendar. The official entry list closed at 1,261 competitors from 20 countries, spread across 2,802 entries that ran from eight-year-olds in their first tatami battles all the way up to senior, U21 and masters. Amid the noise, a handful of names stood out across the senior and U21 mats.

🇵🇱 Natalia Balut’s golden weekend

The story of the weekend belonged to Natalia Balut (@nba1ut on Instagram). The fighter from Klub Karate i Rekreacji Sonkei did not settle for one title: she won gold in Junior Kumite Female 66+ kg and then went up an age group to take gold in U21 Kumite Female -68 kg as well, seeing off Latvia’s Olga Selavko in the U21 final. Two categories, two golds, one weekend, in front of a home crowd.

She did not even have the family bragging rights to herself. Her sister Patrycja Balut topped the Junior Kumite Female -53 kg division, turning it into a golden weekend for the Baluts and for the Sonkei club.

🇳🇱 Ise van Bommel on the junior podium

A familiar name to our readers also reached the podium. Ise van Bommel (@karate_ise on Instagram), the Dutch talent from Karateschool Fightin’ Nabil who took Karate1 Youth League gold in Manila earlier this season, claimed bronze in Junior Kumite Female -66 kg. Stepping up against a deep international field, another podium continues a strong season for the Manila Youth League gold medallist.

🏆 The senior titles

At senior level the titles were shared around. Poland’s Daria Pylypiuk and Latvia’s Miroslavs Balzaris both did the double, each winning their senior category and then the U21 one as well, Pylypiuk in -50 kg and Balzaris in -60 kg. Ukraine was the dominant force at the top of the men’s draw, Nazarii Prannychuk (-67 kg) and Maksym Buhaiov (84+ kg) taking gold with Ukrainian fighters filling several other podium places. Switzerland’s Lila Ritz won the senior female kata and England’s Theo Langhorn the male kata, while in the two heaviest women’s categories the Netherlands’ Robin Zwanenburg (@karate_robin) took -68 kg and Jenna Telles 68+ kg.

Women

Men

⭐ U21: a weekend of doubles

The U21 mats produced the same pattern. Beyond Natalia Balut, Pylypiuk, Balzaris and Prannychuk all backed up their senior golds with U21 titles, while England’s Hlib Pakhomov turned a senior -75 kg bronze into U21 -75 kg gold. The kata went global: Hong Kong, China travelled the furthest of anyone and left with both U21 kata titles, Lee Ngai Yi winning the women’s and Chiu Wing Hei the men’s, with Chiu also taking silver in the senior male kata.

Women

Men

🌍 Around the mats

The Polish Open is the kind of event where the elite mats run alongside the grassroots, and that mix is exactly its charm. The host club, Klub Karate i Rekreacji Sonkei, the Balut sisters’ base, was on the podium again and again across the age groups, a reminder of how deep the Polish club scene runs.

Among the international entries, Norway’s Demian Fagerli was in action across two divisions, U21 Kumite Male -60 kg and Junior Kumite Male -61 kg, without reaching the podium this time.

With the WKF and Polish Karate Union banners lining the hall, the Polish Open once again did what open tournaments do best: hand the next generation real mat time against opponents from across the continent, and let a few of them announce themselves.

Sources

• Official results, Polish Open 2026 (Bielsko-Biała, 20 to 21 June 2026) - sportdata / Polish Karate Union

Reporting on the Polish Open 2026. All names, categories and finishing positions are drawn from the official results book; the cards above show the full senior and U21 podiums, category by category. Editorial photos reproduced for news reporting purposes.