The final event of the season of 2023 Karate 1-Series A travels to Matosinhos (Portugal) from November 24 to 26.

Here’s all you need to know about the anticipated tournament.

WHAT

• The Karate 1-Series A Matosinhos is the fifth and final event of the season, following the tournaments in Athens (Greece), Konya (Turkiye), Richmond-Vancouver (Canada), and Larnaca (Cyprus)
• Nearly 1000 athletes from 72 countries participated in the opening event of the season in Athens in January with Japan topping the medal table of the tournament.
• Over 800 athletes from 60 countries participated at the event in Konya with hosts of Turkiye leading the medal table.
• The event in Richmond-Vancouver gathered nearly 400 athletes from 51 countries. Karatekas from Japan dominated the competition.  
• In the fourth event in Larnaca, over 800 athletes from 70 countries participated, and powerhouse nations of France and Egypt topped the medal table that had representatives of 12 different countries claiming gold, a testament to the popularity of karate around the world.
• Matosinhos is fast becoming a hub of Karate in southern Europe after hosting a Karate 1-Premier League event in 2022.

WHERE

• The tournament will be held at the Centro de Desportos e Congressos de Matosinhos.

WHEN

• The event is scheduled from November 24 to 26.  
• The eliminations will be held on Friday and Saturday (from 09.00 to 20.30 local times, GMT +2).
• The bronze medal bouts are scheduled on Sunday, from 11.00 to 14.30. The finals will be held on Sunday from 14.30 to 18.00
• CLICK HERE to go to the full competition programme.

WHO    

• Over 1000 athletes from 71 countries have registered to participate in the event.
• Powerhouse nation of Italy presents the largest delegation with 154 athletes. Neighbour country of Spain and hosts of Portugal also compete with a big number of competitors, 122 and 82 athletes respectively.

HOW

• The Karate 1-Series A events are limited to competitors who are placed in positions 33 and below in the WKF World Ranking.
• Athletes are free to register as long as the total number of 96 competitors per category in Kumite and 128 entries in Kata is completed.
• The tournament follows a Knockout competition system.

WHAT ELSE

• Competitors participating in the Karate 1-Series A events aim at earning points to reach the top 32 positions in the WKF World ranking, which gives them the chance to compete at the Karate 1-Premier League.

WATCH IT LIVE!

• The medal bouts of the event on Sunday are available LIVE on the WKF YouTube channel. CLICK HERE to go to the WKF YouTube channel.