Less than two months before the World Championships, the Premier League Hanau will break the record of participation in a Premier League for the second time in a row.

Less than two months before the World Championships, the Premier League Hanau will break the record of participation in a Premier League for the second time in a row.

For this third edition, 874 athletes from 59 nations are registered, and many nations use the tournament as direct test for the world championships. Thus most of the top international karateka will be there. Among them, Amir Mehdizadeh (Iran, 2012 World Champion Kumite male -60kg), Magdy Mamdouh (Egypt, 2012 World Champion Kumite male -67kg), Luigi Busa (Italy, 2012 World Champion  Kumite male -75kg), Nadège Ait Ibrahim (France, 2012 World Champion Kumite female +68kg and team), Lolita Dona (France, 2012 World Champion Kumite female -61kg and team), Lucie Ignace (France, 2012World Champion Kumite female -55kg and team), Alexandra Recchia (France, 2012 World Champion Kumite female -50kg and team), Jonathan Horne (Germany, 4 times European Champion, Kumite male +84kg and Team), Douglas Brose (Brazil, 2010 World Champion Kumite male -60kg  and 2012 Vice World Champion), and many others.

In total, 7 actual World Champions (2012) and more than 15 former World and European Champions are ready to propose a competition of an outstanding level. The most contested categories will be Kata individual male with 112 athletes from 32 nations and kumite male -84kg with 106 fighters from 36 nations.

So about 40 days before the World Championships in Bremen, the Premier League Hanau will be an extraordinary tournament which will give a first impression of the shape of world`s best athletes in their preparation to Bremen.

Programme:

SATURDAY 27.09.2014
8.30 – 13:00 Kata individual and Kata Team Male and Female - Elimination & Repechages
13.00 -20:00 Kumite Female (-55 kg, -61 kg, -68 kg) & Kumite Male (-75 kg, -84 kg) - Elimination & Repechages
20.00 Finals

SUNDAY 28.09.2014
8.30 – 15:00 Kumite Female (-50 kg, +68 kg) & Kumite Male (-60 kg, -67 kg, +84 kg) - Elimination & Repechages
15.00 Finals

The list of participants and real time results can be followed on the dedicated page of the WKF website

Official pages of the German Karate Federation:
Website: http://www.karate.de/medien/top-news/31241-german-open
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Deutscher-Karate-Verband/258557510851070?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dkvkarate (please use the official hashtag #GermanOpenKarate2014)