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Karate Shines in Paris: Grand Winners Prevail in 2025 Karate 1-Premier League Paris
2025-01-28

The 2025 Karate 1-Premier League season kicked off in style in Paris, delivering a thrilling final day filled with remarkable performances and new milestones. With Grand Winners Abdalla Abdelaziz, Maho Ono, Taha Tarek Mahmoud, Youssef Badawy, Maria Torres and Kakeru Nishiyama emerging as the big stars, the opening tournament set a high standard for the season ahead.
Female Kata: Maho Ono Dominates
Maho Ono of Japan claimed the first gold of the season, defeating Hong Kong’s Mo Sheung Grace Lau 44.40 to 42.90. Ono, ranked number two in the WKF world rankings, secured her first win of 2025 after taking two golds last year.
Japanese athletes Kiri Mishima and Saeko Azuma took the bronze medals, completing a strong showing for Japan in the kata category.
Male Kumite -60kg: Eray Samdan Reigns Supreme
Eray Samdan of Türkiye retained his title in Paris, defeating Christos-Stefanos Xenos of Greece 4-2. The former Grand Winner from Türkiye showcased his consistency with back-to-back golds, maintaining his dominance in the category.
The bronze medals were awarded to Ali Meskini of Iran and Kaisar Alpysbay of Kazakhstan.
Female Kumite -50kg: Sara Bahmanyar Shines in All-Iran Final
Sara Bahmanyar of Iran opened her season with a decisive 6-3 victory over compatriot Masoumeh Mohsenian. Ranked 23rd in the world, Bahmanyar surprised and carried her momentum from her recent win at the Karate 1-Series A Tbilisi, signalling her rise in the rankings.
Bronze medals went to Grand Winner Moldir Zhangbyrbay of Kazakhstan and Yorgelis Salazar of Venezuela.
Male Kumite -67kg: Yugo Kozaki Wins by Senshuu
Japan’s Yugo Kozaki defeated Türkiye’s Omer Ozer in a tense 2-2 match, winning by senshuu (first unopposed point). Kozaki, who last claimed gold in a Karate 1-Premier League event in Dublin in 2023, celebrated his second career Karate 1-Premier League victory.
Vinicius Figueira of Brazil and Georgios Baliotis of Greece earned bronze medals.
Female Kumite -55kg: Ahlam Youssef’s Return to Gold
Ahlam Youssef of Egypt defeated Hana Furumoto-Deshaies of Canada 5-3 to claim her first Karate 1-Premier League gold since her victory in Karate 1-Premier League Baku in 2022. The former world champion, ranked 15th in the WKF World Ranking, reaffirmed her position as a top contender.
Türkiye’s Tuba Yakan and the USA’s Trinity Allen secured bronze medals.
Male Kumite -75kg: Grand Winner Abdalla Abdelaziz’s Continued Dominance
Grand Winner Abdalla Abdelaziz of Egypt delivered an emphatic 8-3 victory over Montenegro’s Nemanja Mikulic. Abdelaziz, who won five golds in five events last year, continues to dominate the -75kg category and cements his place as one of karate’s brightest stars.
Bronze medals were awarded to Egypt’s Abdelgawad Abdalla Hesham and Ukraine’s Erik Rahozenko.
Male Kata: Nishiyama Continues Dominating the Category
Kakeru Nishiyama of Japan claimed the gold in the male kata category, defeating compatriot Yasuhiro Machida 45.9 to 43.3. The reigning Grand Winner and world-ranking leader continues his dominance after winning gold at all five events last year, thus demonstrating his prevalence in the category.
Ariel Torres of the United States and Kazumasa Moto of Japan took home the bronze medals.
Female Kumite -61kg: Shimada’s Return to Glory
Sarara Shimada of Japan defeated Assel Kanay of Kazakhstan 9-4 to win her first Karate 1-Premier League gold since 2023 in Dublin. Shimada’s sharp technique and precision earned her a well-deserved victory.
The bronze medals were claimed by Sydney Yvon of France and Beata Girvica of Latvia.
Male Kumite -84kg: Badawy Prevails Again
Egypt’s Youssef Badawy delivered an impressive 10-2 win over Jordan’s Mohammad Aljafari in one of the most one-sided finals of the day. The Grand Winner and reigning world champion started the season in style, adding another gold to his growing collection after his triumph last year in Antalya.
Mehdi Sriti of Morocco and Junya Eto of Japan secured the bronze medals.
Female Kumite -68kg: Sombe Triumphs on Home Soil
France’s Thalya Sombe delighted the home crowd with a victory over Japan’s Tsubasa Kama 4-2 in the final. The back-to-back Paris champion added a second Karate 1-Premier League gold to her record, cementing her place among the top competitors.
Eda Eltemur of Türkiye and Elena Quirici of Switzerland earned bronze medals.
Male Kumite +84kg: Grand Winner Mahmoud Takes Tight Victory
Taha Tarek Mahmoud of Egypt defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Anes Bostandzic 3-3 by senshuu (first unopposed point) to take gold. The Grand Winner and world-ranking leader repeated his success in Paris after narrowly missing titles in Casablanca, Cairo, and Antalya last year.
Rob Timmermans of Curaçao and Dias Anarbekov of Kazakhstan won the bronze medals.
Female Kumite +68kg: Torres Takes a Narrow Victory
Maria Torres of Spain edged Kazakhstan’s Sofya Berultseva 5-4 to secure her second Karate 1-Premier League gold. The Grand Winner defended her Paris title of last year, showing consistency and composure under pressure.
Rochelle Walters of England and Maroua Eddarhri of Morocco claimed bronze medals.
The opening tournament of the 2025 Karate 1-Premier League season in Paris showcased the sport's excellence in a memorable event. With Grand Winners leading the way, the season of Karate 1-Premier League promises more exciting moments ahead.
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2025 KARATE 1-PREMIER LEAGUE PARIS