The 2023 Karate 1-Premier League season culminated in a spectacular event this Sunday in Dublin, Ireland. This grand finale followed a series of thrilling tournaments held in Cairo, Rabat, and Fukuoka earlier this season. As the results from Dublin are tallied, the Grand Winners have been proclaimed, setting the stage for an in-depth feature in our upcoming article.
Japan Dominates the Medal Tally
Japan emerged as the dominant force this season, clinching a total of 21 medals, including 9 golds, 4 silvers, and 8 bronzes. Following closely were Ukraine and Italy, showcasing stellar performances with 7 and 6 medals respectively. The detailed country rankings and medal tally are as follows:
- Japan – 21 Medals (9 Gold, 4 Silver, 8 Bronze)
- Ukraine – 7 Medals (3 Gold, 0 Silver, 4 Bronze)
- Italy – 6 Medals (2 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze)
- Croatia – 6 Medals (0 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze)
Highlighted Performances
Hikaru Ono Triumphs in Female Kata
In a remarkable display of skill and finesse, Japan’s Hikaru Ono clinched the title of Grand Winner once again in the Female Kata category. Ono, adorned in her golden embroidered karategi, triumphed over Mo Sheung Grace Lau of Hong Kong with a score of 45.3 to 44.4, showcasing an exquisite presentation of the “Papuren” kata.
Irina Zaretska’s Late Ippon Seals Victory
The Female Kumite -68kg category witnessed a nail-biting finale between Irina Zaretska of Azerbaijan and Elena Quirici of Switzerland. In a turn of events, Zaretska secured her 13th gold medal in the Karate 1-Premier League with a late Ippon, overturning Quirici’s lead and winning 3-2.
Yorgelis Salazar Celebrates with Gold
Venezuela’s Yorgelis Salazar celebrated her Grand Winner award with a gold medal in the Female Kumite -50kg category. Salazar, a two-time continental champion, triumphed over Croatia’s Ema Sgardelli with a score of 6-0, marking her fourth crown in the Karate 1-Premier League.
Hiromu Hashimoto’s Technical Mastery
Japan’s Hiromu Hashimoto showcased technical brilliance in the Male Kumite -60kg category, defeating France’s Rayyan Meziane with a score of 3-2. This victory not only secured Hashimoto’s gold medal but also his first Grand Winner award in the category.
Anzhelika Terliuga Continues Her Reign
Ukraine’s Anzhelika Terliuga continued her domination in the Female Kumite -55kg category, securing her 16th gold medal in the Karate 1-Premier League. Terliuga, who had already secured her third consecutive Grand Winner award, defeated Japan’s Shiori Nakamura with a score of 5-0.
Other Noteworthy Performances
- Yugo Kozaki clinched a high-scoring final in the Male Kumite -67kg category, defeating Dionysios Xenos of Greece with a score of 10-2.
- Sarara Shimada added another gold to Japan’s tally in the Female Kumite -61kg category, defeating Turkey’s Fatma Naz Yenen 2-1.
- Kakeru Nishiyama maintained his Grand Winner award in the Male Kata category, defeating teammate Sakichi Abe with scores of 45.6 to 45.2.
- Michele Martina of Italy won the Male Kumite -84kg category, defeating Croatia’s Ivan Kvesic with a score of 7-4.
- Ayaka Saito of Japan clinched the Female Kumite +68kg category, defeating Italy’s Clio Ferracuti with a score of 4-3.
- Ryzvan Talibov of Ukraine won the Male Kumite +84kg category, defeating Chile’s Rodrigo Rojas with a score of 5-4.
As we wrap up the coverage of this exhilarating season, we look forward to delving deeper into the journeys of the Grand Winners in our forthcoming feature. Stay tuned for an exclusive insight into the world of Karate’s finest athletes.
All results
- Japan – 21 Medals (9 Gold, 4 Silver, 8 Bronze)
- Ukraine – 7 Medals (3 Gold, 0 Silver, 4 Bronze)
- Italy – 6 Medals (2 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze)
- Croatia – 6 Medals (0 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze)
- Venezuela – 1 Medal (1 Gold)
- Azerbaijan – 1 Medal (1 Gold)
- Jordan – 2 Medals (1 Gold, 1 Bronze)
- France – 4 Medals (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 3 Bronze)
- Hong Kong, China – 1 Medal (0 Gold, 1 Silver)
- Switzerland – 1 Medal (0 Gold, 1 Silver)
- Turkey – 3 Medals (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze)
- Chile – 1 Medal (0 Gold, 1 Silver)
- Greece – 3 Medals (0 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze)
- Germany – 1 Medal (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze)
- Indonesia – 2 Medals (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 2 Bronze)
- Kuwait – 1 Medal (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze)
- Belgium – 1 Medal (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze)
- Spain – 1 Medal (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze)
Female Kata
- Gold: Ono Hikaru (Japan)
- Silver: Lau Mo Sheung Grace (Hong Kong, China)
- Bronze: Iwamoto Emiri (Japan) and Ono Maho (Japan)
Female Kumite -50 kg
- Gold: Salazar Yorgelis (Venezuela)
- Silver: Sgardelli Ema (Croatia)
- Bronze: Kryva Kateryna (Ukraine) and Pehar Jelena (Croatia)
Female Kumite -55 kg
- Gold: Terliuga Anzhelika (Ukraine)
- Silver: Nakamura Shiori (Japan)
- Bronze: Airi Shima (Japan) and Agung Sanistyarani Cok Istri (Indonesia)
Female Kumite -61 kg
- Gold: Shimada Sarara (Japan)
- Silver: Yenen Fatma Naz (Turkey)
- Bronze: Khamis Reem (Germany) and Avazeri Lea (France)
Female Kumite -68 kg
- Gold: Zaretska Iryna (Azerbaijan)
- Silver: Quirici Elena (Switzerland)
- Bronze: Agier Alizee (France) and Zefanya Ceyco Georgia (Indonesia)
Female Kumite 68+ kg
- Gold: Saito Ayaka (Japan)
- Silver: Ferracuti Clio (Italy)
- Bronze: Stepashko Anastasiya (Ukraine) and Uekusa Ayumi (Japan)
Male Kata
- Gold: Nishiyama Kakeru (Japan)
- Silver: Abe Sakichi (Japan)
- Bronze: Moto Kazumasa (Japan) and Ozdemir Enes (Turkey)
Male Kumite -60 kg
- Gold: Hashimoto Hiromu (Japan)
- Silver: Meziane Rayyan (France)
- Bronze: Shaaban Abdullah (Kuwait) and Xenos Christos-Stefanos (Greece)
Male Kumite -67 kg
- Gold: Kozaki Yugo (Japan)
- Silver: Xenos Dionysios (Greece)
- Bronze: Almasatfa Abdel Rahman (Jordan) and De Vivo Gianluca (Italy)
Male Kumite -75 kg
- Gold: Masarweh Hasan (Jordan)
- Silver: Berthon Enzo (France)
- Bronze: Zaplitnyi Andrii (Ukraine) and Mahauden Quentin (Belgium)
Male Kumite -84 kg
- Gold: Martina Michele (Italy)
- Silver: Kvesic Ivan (Croatia)
- Bronze: Shimada Rikito (Japan) and Mastrogiannis Konstantinos (Greece)
Male Kumite 84+ kg
- Gold: Talibov Ryzvan (Ukraine)
- Silver: Rojas Rodrigo (Chile)
- Bronze: Kvesic Andjelo (Croatia) and Seck Sakho Babacar (Spain)