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Season review ahead of upcoming Karate 1-Premier League Istanbul

2018-06-04

Season review ahead of upcoming Karate 1-Premier League Istanbul

The Karate 1-Premier League Istanbul starts this week and the best karatekas in the world are travelling to the Turkish city to compete in Karate’s biggest international competition. The tournament to take place at the Asli Cakir Sports hall in Istanbul from June 8 to 10 is the fifth event of the spectacular 2018 Karate 1-Premier League season. 

The Karate 1-Premier League Istanbul starts this week and the best karatekas in the world are travelling to the Turkish city to compete in Karate’s biggest international competition. The tournament to take place at the Asli Cakir Sports hall in Istanbul from June 8 to 10 is the fifth event of the spectacular 2018 Karate 1-Premier League season. 

Over 600 athletes from 63 countries are set to clash for gold at the anticipated Karate 1-Premier League Istanbul. As the season is reaching its peak, Karate fans will have another opportunity to watch the top karatekas in action since the heroes of the sport will be making the best of their abilities to try to lead the competition. 

After four events, Karate stars are leaving their mark in the 2018 Karate 1-Premier League. Only nine karatekas have managed to take two golds this year; Three Japanese competitors are among the most awarded athletes of the season thus far, since Miho Miyahara, Ayumi Uekusa and Ken Nishimura all have won two top prizes this year. Miyahara took the top of the podium of Female Kumite -50kg in Rabat and Paris, while Ken Nishimura appears as one of the front-runners of the Male Kumite -75kg with his victories in Paris and Rotterdam. Current Grand Winner Ayumi Uekusa is extending her success to this season with victories in Rotterdam and Dubai in Female Kumite +68kg.   

GRAND WINNERS SHOWING POWER

Spain’s Sandra Sanchez is also being one of the attention-grabbers this season since the WKF World ranking first-placed competitor prevailed in the events in Rotterdam and Dubai. These two golds together with a silver in Rabat and bronze in Paris make the current Grand Winner the leader of the Female Kata category and a constant fixture in the podiums of Karate's first-class competition. 

The list of defending Grand Winners also showing power this year is completed with China’s Xiaoyan Yin. After her impressive campaign last season, the Chinese ace is making headlines this year since the 23-year-old karateka won gold in Dubai and Paris and silver in Rabat. 

With medals in all the Karate 1-Premier League events this year, including golds in Dubai and Rabat, Rafael Aghayev of Azerbaijan is dominating the Male Kumite -75kg category. The five-time world champion not only reached the top of the podium in the events in UAE and Morocco, but he also achieved remarkable results in Paris, where he got the second place, and in Rotterdam where the superstar from Azerbaijan claimed bronze.  

Turkish Karate fans will have their attention during the Karate 1-Premier League Istanbul focused on Eray Samdan. The young Turkish representative will try to get his third gold medal this year at home so to continue leading the standings of the Male Kumite -60kg and to take a step forward to be proclaimed Grand Winner this year. The 20-year-old Turkish talent won gold in Rotterdam and Dubai and will try to extend the honours in front of family and friends. 

The list of top gold medallist at the 2018 Karate 1-Premier League is completed by Alizee Agier of France and Egypt’s Ahmed Elmasry. Agier is leading the Karate 1-Premier League standings in Female Kumite -68kg after winning gold medals in Paris and Dubai while Ahmed Elmasry is confirming his status as up-and-coming top karateka with victories in Rabat and Dubai and a silver medal in Paris.  

By countries, the delegations of Japan, Turkey and France are highlighting as the most successful thus far. Japanese karatekas have claimed 11 gold medals this year to a count of 22 awards this year. Meanwhile, Turkey have won nine golds to a whopping tally of 27 medals. French karatekas have reached the top of the podium eight times so far and have claimed a total of 24 medals this year. No less than 19 countries have managed to take gold in the four events of the season thus demonstrating the universality of the sport. 

The Karate 1-Premier League Istanbul starts on Friday with the first categories at stake. The medal bouts are scheduled for Sunday. The final day of action of the Karate 1-Premier League Istanbul will be broadcast to a worldwide viewing audience on many TV Networks around the world and on KARATEWORLD.TV.

CLICK HERE to go to KarateWorld.TV.