karate1

Grand Winner Hikaru Ono: I want to show my best in Fukuoka

2023-06-05

Grand Winner Hikaru Ono: I want to show my best in Fukuoka

Japan’s Hikaru Ono aims at winning the gold medal at the upcoming 2023 Karate 1-Premier League Fukuoka. The current Grand Winner in Female Kata hopes to use the home-ground factor in her favour at the event.

“I am from Oita, Kyushu (160 km or 99 miles from Fukuoka) so my parents and the students at my dojo will come to see the tournament. I want to show them my best performance, so I can win the gold medal,” said Ono.


A four-time Karate 1-Premier League winner and current continental champion, Hikaru Ono will be wearing the special karategi with the golden embroidery on the shoulder as the Grand Winner in Female Kata. After taking bronze at the two events this season in Cairo and Rabat, Ono hopes to use the support from family and friends to win the crown in Fukuoka.


“I would like to compete with my very best,” said Grand Winner Ono who adds: “Children in the Kyushu region don't usually have the chance to see first-class tournaments as most of them are held in Tokyo, so it will be a great opportunity for them to see top-level athletes in action this time.”


It is the first time that a Karate1-Premier League will be held in Fukuoka, after the editions of 2019 and 2018 in Tokyo. Hikaru Ono spearheads the numerous delegation of the host country hoping to show the many values of the sport in the birth nation of Karate.

“I always loved Karate; it was special to me. I took swimming and piano lessons, but that did not last. One year after I started practising karate, I said ‘I want to be a world champion’” stated Ono who took her first Karate lessons when she was six years old.


Ono nearly achieved her goals at the last edition of the World Senior Championships, when she won the silver medal. The World Ranking leader will be among the frontrunners in Female Kata at the event in Fukuoka.


The Karate 1-Premier League Fukuoka is scheduled from June 9 to 11. The eliminations will be available LIVE on the WKF YouTube channel. Fans can catch all the action of the medal bouts on Sunday on a number of TV networks and platforms.


FULL LIST OF TV PROVIDERS


2023 KARATE 1-PREMIER LEAGUE FUKUOKA