The best karateka in the world have confirmed their participation at the next big event of the sport, the Karate 1-Premier League Rabat. Fans of the sport will be counting the days to the start of the third stop of the 2019 Karate 1-Premier League as another anticipated showcase of Karate's sporting spirit will take place in Rabat from April 19 to 21.
Once that registration process has been completed, nearly 700 competitors from 78 countries will be clashing for gold at the Karate 1-Premier League Rabat. The universality of the sport is once again demonstrated with representatives from nearly 80 countries from five continents taking part in the event. Also, the competition is expected to be outstanding since all but one of the Grand Winners, all the defending World Champions and all the Olympic standing leaders will compete in Rabat.
Fresh off their recent continental titles, two of Karate’s biggest stars will lead the way to glory in Rabat. Sandra Sanchez of Spain and Steven Dacosta of France claimed the European crowns in Guadalajara last weekend and will try to extend their remarkable tally of awards this season. Both the Spanish Kata queen and the French "Prince" of Karate will defend their status of continental and World champions, current Grand Winners and Olympic standing leaders in Rabat. Ryo Kiyuna of Japan is the other karateka who currently holds the three top recognition of international Karate: Grand Winner, World Champion and Olympic standings leader. The three-time World champion from Japan in Male Kata aims at getting his third Karate 1-Premier League gold this season.
Turkey’s Ugur Aktas became one of the stars of the European Championships after claiming two medals in Guadalajara; he will also try to use his front-runner status in Rabat. The Turkish ace is acting as Grand Winner and Olympic standing leader, just as team-mate Serap Ozcelik who has won two gold medals in the two Karate 1-Premier League events this year.
Among the Grand Winners who are performing at an exceptional level this season, Jonathan Horne of Germany hopes to take his second gold medal this year after prevailing at the continental stage in Guadalajara. The Grand Winner in Male Kumite +84kg is also the defending World champion of the category.
The list of Grand Winners competing in Rabat is completed with Sara Cardin of Italy who will be making her Karate 1-Premier League debut this season after recovering from an injury. Olympic standing leader and World champion Eleni Chatziliadou of Greece and Olympic standing leader and newly-proclaimed European champion Luigi Busa of Italy will be among the many top names to follow in Rabat.
The Karate 1-Premier League Rabat will be held from April 19 to 21. All the medal bouts will be streamed LIVE on karateworld.tv and on many TV networks around the world. CLICK HERE to go to the list of TV Networks.
25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only
Recent Articles
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
