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Race for Grand Winners Heats Up After Karate 1-Premier League Paris
2025-02-03

After the exciting season opener of the Karate 1-Premier League in Paris, competitors have taken their first steps in the race to become the new Grand Winners. The Grand Winners Awards stand as one of the highest honours in karate, recognising the top athletes in each of the 12 categories of the Karate 1-Premier League.
The Karate 1-Premier League Paris kicked off the 2024 season, setting the stage for an intense race among the world's best karatekas. The first event of the year crowned the first gold medallists, offering a glimpse into who might rise as the new Grand Winners.
Defending Grand Winners Shine in Paris
Several reigning Grand Winners showed their dominance in Paris. Japan’s Maho Ono celebrated her status with a strong victory in Female Kata, while her compatriot Kakeru Nishiyama secured back-to-back wins in Male Kata, further strengthening his lead in the division.
Egypt’s Abdalla Abdelaziz maintained his supremacy in Male Kumite -75kg after winning all four events last season, starting 2024 with another gold. Spain’s Maria Torres repeated her triumph in Paris in Female Kumite +68kg, reinforcing her place as the reigning Grand Winner.
Egyptian powerhouses Youssef Badawy and Taha Tarek Mahmoud proved their strength in Male Kumite -84kg and Male Kumite +84kg, respectively, with commanding victories in Paris. Their performances showed why they are among the favourites for the Grand Winners title again this year.
Surprises and Shifts in the Standings
In some categories, new contenders emerged. Iran’s Sara Bahmanyar stunned the competition in Female Kumite -50kg by securing gold, while defending Grand Winner Moldir Zhangbyrbay of Kazakhstan had to settle for third place.
Ahlam Youssef of Egypt took a strong first step in Female Kumite -55kg with a win, as current Grand Winner Valentina Toro of Chile struggled, failing to advance past the group phase.
In Female Kumite -61kg, Japan’s Sarara Shimada secured the most points with her victory, while Germany’s Reem Khamis, last year’s Grand Winner, finished ninth. France’s Thalya Sombe made the most of competing on home soil by taking the win in Female Kumite -68kg, with defending Grand Winner Elena Quirici of Switzerland finishing third.
Former Grand Winner Eray Samdan of Turkiye made a strong comeback in Male Kumite -60kg, winning gold as he eyes reclaiming the title he last held in 2018. Hiromu Hashimoto, the current Grand Winner, placed fifth.
Japan’s Yugo Kozaki emerged victorious in Male Kumite -67kg, as defending champion Said Oubaya of Morocco finished ninth.
Next Stop: Hangzhou, China
With the season off to an electrifying start, athletes now turn their focus to the second Karate 1-Premier League event in Hangzhou, China, from March 14 to 16. This will be the next opportunity to earn crucial points in the race to become the Grand Winners.
Who will rise to the top and claim the ultimate title in karate?