First-class karatekas from all over the world participate this week in the last major international Karate event of the season to be held in Okinawa (Japan). A year full of memorable Karate moments comes to a glorious end in the birthplace of the sport as Okinawa host the closing Karate 1-Series A tournament. 

First-class karatekas from all over the world participate this weekend in the last major international Karate event of the season to be held in Okinawa (Japan). A year full of memorable Karate moments comes to a glorious end in the birthplace of the sport as Okinawa hosts the closing Karate 1-Series A tournament. 

Nearly 800 competitors from 67 countries are registered to compete in the last Karate 1-Series A of the year. World champions, Grand Winners and World ranking leaders are all ready to finish the season in style in the Japanese island where Karate is said to be originated. The tournament to be held in Okinawa from November 25-26 is expected to be a showdown of the best athletes of today’s Karate. 

THRILLING KATA COMPETITION 

One of the highlights of the event will be the Kata competition. While Japanese competitors will try to extend the traditional domination of the category at home, top karatekas have travelled to the birthplace of the sport to upset local heroes. 

The honour of Japanese Karate in the Kata competition will be defended among others by Ryo Kiyuna. Competing at home, the Okinawa native aims at putting a golden finishing touch to his outstanding season after winning six gold medals in six events this year. Grand Winner and World Ranking leader Damian Quintero of Spain will try to produce the big upset of the event by claiming his fifth medal of the season. The two top favourites in Male Kata competition - who topped the podium in the last World Championships - also compete to end the year leading the World Ranking since barely 400 points separate the two kata masters. 

Additionally, the showdown between the two leading competitors in Female Kata expected to catch the attention of fans this weekend in Okinawa. World champion Kiyou Shimizu hopes to get her fourth gold medal in five events this season, thus coming back from her surprising defeat in the Karate 1-Series A in Salzburg (Austria), the first setback in over six years of international career. Grand Winner and World ranking leader Sandra Sanchez of Spain will try to capitalise on the shocking upset occurred in Shimizu’s last international appearance so to continue her impressive streak of seven medals in seven tournaments this year. 

JAPANESE HEROES AND FAVOURITES IN ACTION 

In the rest of the categories, frontrunners will clash with local heroes to shine at the magnificent Okinawa Prefectural Budo-kan. Grand Winner Ryutaro Araga will be one of the favourites of the Japanese fans in the quest for gold. After taking two golds in the first two events of the season, the defending World champion has failed to take the podium in his last two appearances in the Karate 1-Premier League tournaments in Halle/Leipzig and Dubai. 

Japan's Ayumi Uekusa is another of the main fan favourites following a sensational season. The World champion and Grand Winner has reached the top of the podium in six out of her seven appearances this year thus stating her status of leading figure of international Karate.  

Karate Stars Rafael Aghayev of Azerbaijan in Male Kumite -75kg and Sara Cardin of Italy in Female Kumite -55kg; as well as Grand Winners Stanislav Horuna of Ukraine in Male Kumite -75kg, Sajad Ganjzadeh of Iran in Male Kumite +84kg, Anzhelika Terliuga of Ukraine in Female Kumite –55kg and Xiaoyan Yin of China in Female Kumite -61kg are registered to shine at the anticipated tournament in Okinawa.   

CLICK HERE to go to the live streaming of the event.