World Championships Senior
WKF confirms list of qualified athletes for #KarateCairo2025
2023-11-22

After the conclusion of the memorable 2023 World Karate Championships in Budapest, the WKF confirms the list of athletes that have earned the right to participate in the 2025 World Senior Individual Championships.
With the introduction of the new format for World Championships, the biggest event of the sport is now split in two, as the National Team and Individual World Championships will be held separately in alternate years.
According to the rules, the karatekas who were proclaimed world champions in all 10 individual categories at #KarateBudapest2023 earn a direct ticket to participate in the first edition of the World Individual Championships to take place in Cairo (Egypt) in November 2025.
The athletes who are qualified for #KarateCairo2025 are:
Female Kata: HIKARU ONO (JPN)
Female Kumite -50kg: MOLDIR ZHANGBYRBAY(KAZ)
Female Kumite -55kg: TUBA YAKAN (TUR)
Female Kumite -61kg: LI GONG (CHN)
Female Kumite -68kg: IRINA ZARETSKA (AZE)
Female Kumite +68kg: AYAKA SAITO (JPN)
Male Kata: ALI SOFUOGLU (TUR)
Male Kumite -60kg: CHRISTOS-STEFANOS XENOS (GRE)
Male Kumite -67kg: STEVEN DACOSTA (FRA)
Male Kumite -75kg: ABDALLA ABDELAZIZ (EGY)
Male Kumite -84kg: YOUSSEF BADAWY (EGY)
Male Kumite +84kg: MEHDI FILALI (FRA)
The rest of the 32 competitors per category to take part in the event will come from the Continental Championships, from the Individual World Championships standings, and from the Individual World Championships Qualification tournament, in addition to one spot per category for the host country and two spots for universality.
No less than 14 athletes per category will qualify at the Continental Championships. According to the distribution per continent, the top three ranked karatekas (gold, silver medallists, and the highest bronze) at the Continental Championships in Europe (EKF), Asia (AKF), the Americas (PKF), and Africa (UFAK) will earn the ticket to #KarateCairo2025. The first two ranked athletes (gold and silver medallists) at the Oceanian Championships (OKF) will make it to the 2025 World Championships.
Moreover, the top-ranked karateka in each category in the Individual World Championships standings at the end of the standings period will also make it to #KarateCairo2025.
The fifth path of qualification will be the Individual World Championships Qualification tournament to be held in Paris (France), where six spots will be allocated.
Learn more about the qualification system for #KarateCairo2025 by clicking here.