Michael Mollica clinches junior karate gold at Italian championships in Ostia

The Italian Junior Karate Championships were held from June 19 to 21 at the PalaPellicone in Ostia Lido, Rome, featuring over 600 athletes from about 300 clubs. In the -50 kg kumite category, Michael Mollica of Reggio Calabria secured the gold medal, defeating Francesco Goldoni, Vincenzo Gasparini and Devid Ventimiglia before beating Leonardo Mazzilis in the final. Fortitudo 1903 president Riccardo Partinico praised the athletes, saying, "Thank you for your sacrifices; you are the pride of our city."

In the -68 kg division, Cristiano Ioppoli of ASD Martial Kroton Ryu was eliminated after a tightly contested 5‑4 loss to Alessandro Mordini of Florence. Coach Carlo Bellino noted, "Cristiano fought well, applying his preparation in key moments," while Ioppoli reflected, "Losing by a single point is bitter, but it shows the gap is minimal and the work is on the right track."