Seven Grand Winners including 2016 World Championships bronze medallist Ingrida Suchankova and 2014 World Championships runner-up Syakilla Salni Jefry Krishnan are set to compete this weekend at the 2017 Karate 1-Premier League in Rabat. 

Seven Grand Winners including 2016 World Championships bronze medallist Ingrida Suchankova and 2014 World Championships runner-up Syakilla Salni Jefry Krishnan are set to compete this weekend at the 2017 Karate 1-Premier League in Rabat. After the thrilling event in Dubai two weeks ago, the first-class series of international Karate competition takes again the spotlight of the sport with an anticipated tournament in the Moroccan city. 

The fourth stop of the season will welcome nearly 600 athletes from 47 different countries. This tally continues the increase in participation at top Karate events, which has been a constant feature in Karate 1-Premier League competitions this season; nearly 400 competitors from 32 nations took part in the tournament last year. 

Grand Winners will try to make their mark in the event being held from Friday to Sunday in the Moroccan city. Following her silver medal at Karate 1-Premier League in Dubai barely two weeks ago, Ingrida Suchankova of Slovakia will try to extend her top form to the clashes this weekend in Rabat. The 2016 Grand Winner in Female Kumite -61kg is one of the biggest names in the event once the registration process has been completed. 

In Female Kumite -55 kg, Grand Winner Syakilla Salni Jefry Krishnan of Malaysia hopes to recover the winning track that took her to earn silver at the 2014 World Championships. In her fourth appearance this season, the three-time gold medallist will try to get to the top of the podium for the first time in over a year. 

In the always competed Female Kata category, Italy’s Terryana D’Onofrio sets her eyes in improving the bronze medal that the 2016 Grand Winner earned in Dubai, thus being proclaimed as front-runner of the category of the choreographed movements in Rabat. 

In Male categories, Vinicius Figueira of Brazil also defends his Grand Winner status and aims at putting an end to his medal drought in major international competitions. The Pan American Championships bronze medallist won his last medal at Karate 1-Premier League in Hamburg last year, when the two-time gold medallist claimed the second spot on the final podium. 

The two Saudi Arabia Grand Winners, Emad Al Maliki and Majed Alkhalifah have also confirmed their participation in Rabat. Al Maliki will try to get back-to-back victories in the Moroccan city as the 27 year-old karateka won gold in the tournament last year. Meanwhile, Majed Alkhalifah claimed bronze in the 2016 Karate 1-Premier League in Rabat and hopes to reach the top of the podium in the event for the first time. 

World Championships silver medallists Valeria Kumizaki of Brazil, Egypt's Omar Abdel Rahman, Aykham Mamayev of Azerbaijan, and local hero Achraf Ouchen are other of the main favourites to shine in Rabat this weekend. 

Local karatekas intend the repeat the success of five gold medals last year and present the largest delegation in Rabat. Turkey and Algeria with nearly 40 competitors respectively also travel with numerous representatives to the anticipated fourth stop of the 2017 Karate 1-Premier League.  

Click here for more information on the 2017 Karate 1-Premier League in Rabat. 

About Karate World TV Channel 

The Karate World TV Channel gives fans around the world a front row seat to view all the Karate 1- Premier League events. By signing to the Karate World TV Channel, Karate fans will receive all the excitement of the 2017 Karate 1-Premier League in HD, including all five tournaments LIVE, On-demand event replays, Video On Demand and Exclusive Content. 

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About Karate 1 – Premier League 

The Karate1-Premier League- is the most important league event in the world of Karate. It comprises of a number of the most prominent Karate competitions, with the cities of Paris (France), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Dubai (UAE), Rabat (Morocco) and Halle/Leipzig (Germany) acting as the stops of this year’s edition.

The Karate 1-Premier League will also be one of the key elements in the road to the Olympic qualification since the points to be allocated in Karate 1-Premier League tournaments will play an essential role in the configuration of the World ranking.