Only four months after organising the 2016 Karate Pan American Championships and nearly two months after being home of Karate’s most historic moment, Brazil hosts the eighth tournament of the 2016 Karate 1-Premier League. The city of Fortaleza is ready to welcome top Karatekas in another thrilling chapter of Karate’s first-class event.

Only four months after organising the 2016 Karate Pan American Championships and nearly two months after being home of Karate’s most historic moment, Brazil hosts the eighth tournament of the 2016 Karate 1-Premier League. The city of Fortaleza is ready to welcome top Karatekas in another thrilling chapter of Karate’s first-class event.

Karate Star Douglas Brose leads the large representation of athletes of the host country in the only Karate 1-Premier League tournament to be held in South America this season. It is being a momentous year for the Brazilian World champion; after recapturing the gold medal in the Pan American championships and after living firsthand the joy of the historic decision of the inclusion of Karate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Douglas Brose acts as one of the biggest stars in Fortaleza and main fan favourite.

Local hero Brose aims at his first medal in Karate 1-Premier League competitions this year after failing to reach finals in his two previous appearances in Rotterdam and Paris. The 30 year-old Karate Star reaches his best when competing at home, and dominated the Male Kumite -60 Kg category in the 2015 Karate 1-Premier League event held in Brazilian ground in Sao Paulo.

Local hopes will be also posed in Brazilian top competitor Vinicius Figueira, among many others. After his gold medal in Karate 1-Premier League in Salzburg and following his seventh position in the tournament in Istanbul two weeks ago, the Brazilian champion will try to shine in front of local fans in Male Kumite -67 kg category.

Over a hundred competitors from the host country will participate in Brazil, thus presenting the largest delegation in the event.



Alisa Buchinger to continue her quest for gold in Fortaleza

While representatives of the host nation will try to dominate in the 14 categories, promising Karatekas appear with the intention of spoiling the local party in Fortaleza. Current European championships runner-up and Karate 1-Premier League in Salzburg gold medallist Alisa Buchinger will act as one of the biggest names in the competition.

The Austrian Karateka hopes to win her 14th gold medal in Karate 1-Premier League tournaments so to confirm her condition of main contender in Female Kumite -68 kg category. As the Austrian idol will fight for the top of the podium in Fortaleza, the 24 year-old Karateka aims at continue shinning in order to cause a sensation at home ground in the upcoming World Championships to be held in Linz (Austria).

The event in Fortaleza will also be characterised by the participation of upcoming stars who clash to make a name for themselves in Karate’s highest level. 2015 World Junior, Cadet and U21 Champion Tareg Hamedi of Saudi Arabia, and 2015 World Junior, Cadet and U21 Championships bronze medallists Stephani de Lima and Sabrina Pereira of Brazil will represent youngsters’ increasing presence in Karate’s top competitions in Fortaleza. 

The 2015 edition of the tournament held in Brazil ended with the host country dominating the standings with a tally of 25 medals.

Click here for all the information on the 2016 Karate 1-Premier League in Fortaleza.