Egypt’s karate team performed wonderfully in the 2022 Karate 1-Premier League in Fujairah, the UAE, having won over nine medals in different levels.The performance of the team was seen as an amazing show of athleticism.
Egypt topped the list of winners at the competition, after claiming three gold medals in its final day.The title count for the powerhouse nation started in Male Kumite – 75kg.
Olympian Abdalla Abdelaziz defeated Gabor Karoly Harspataki of Hungary 4-2.
The all-Egypt final of Male Kumite – 84kg ended with world champion, Youssef Badawy, clinching the title after beating team-mate, Mohamed Ramadan, 4-0.
The category of Male Kumite + 84kg also had two Egyptian competitors racing for gold. Victory went to Mohamed Hazem who defeated team-mate Taha Mahmoud by ‘Senshuu’ or first unopposed point (3-3).
The silver medals were claimed by Yasmine el-Juweili Kumite under 50 kg, Mohamed Ramadan Kumite under 84 kg, and Taha Mahmoud Kumite at over 84 kg.
Also the bronze medals went to Ahlam Youssef Kumite, 55 kg, Ali El-Sawy Kumite, under 67kg, and Feryal Ashraf, the gold medalist in the Tokyo Olympics, in the 68kg Kumite competitions.
Kazakhstan’s Asian Championship and bronze medalist, Didar Amirali, dominated Tural Aghalarzade of Azerbaijan 6-0 to take the under-67kg crown.
The final men’s Kumite gold medal went to Abdallah Hammad of Jordan in the under-60kg category after he scraped a 1-0 win over Iurik Ogannisian of Russia.
Turkey’s 20-year-old Enes Özdemir won the men’s kata to take his second Karate 1-Premier League title.
The last final of the day in Female Kumite was taken by Nancy Garcia of France who prevailed in Female Kumite +68kg.
The 26-year-old winner of the 2018 Karate 1-Premier League Tokyo upset World Champion Maria Torres of Spain in an outstanding final bout 8-7.
Anna Chernysheva of Russia headed the revolution of up-and-coming karatekas in Fujairah.
The 20-year-old current European champion defeated Grand Winner Anzhelika Terliuga of Ukraine 3-2 in a tight final of Female Kumite – 55kg.
It is Chernysheva’s second consecutive gold in Karate 1-Premier League after her victory at home in Moscow last year.
Ali el-Sawy and Feryal Ashraf also topped the final standings of the Karate 1-Premier League after the joint season 2020-2021.
In addition to receiving the trophy and prize money, the Grand Winners earn the right of wearing the special karategi with the golden embroidery on the shoulders throughout the whole season.
After the thrilling event in Fujairah, the Karate 1-Premier League travels now to Oporto, Portugal, where the second event of the season will be held from April 22 to 24 this year.
