The second day of the Karate 1 Premier League in Cairo wrapped up with finalists determined in the last six categories. Grand Winner Kakeru Nishiyama, World champion Ali Sofuoglu, World championships runner-up Maria Torres and World ranking leader Taha Tarek Mahmoud were among the heroes of the day.

Male Kata: World champion Sofuoglu against Grand Winner Nishiyama

The final will feature Ali Sofuoglu of Turkiye against Kakeru Nishiyama of Japan. Sofuoglu, the current world champion, advanced to the final by defeating Olympic bronze medallist Ariel Torres from the United States with a score of 43.50 to 43.00. The current Grand Winner of the category Kakeru Nishiyama overcame fellow Japanese competitor Aoi Funada 43.40 to 42.50.

Female Kumite -68kg: Eltemur and Kama advance to final

Eda Eltemur of Turkiye and Tsubasa Kama of Japan will clash in the final. Eltemur, a 2022 continental champion, secured her spot with a 2-1 victory over Maria Isabel Nieto of Spain. Eltemur?s last Karate 1 Premier League final was in 2018 when she won gold in Berlin. Kama, a silver medallist in the 2023 Karate 1 Premier League Fukuoka, defeated Olympian Silvia Semeraro of Italy 4-2 in one of the big upsets of the day.

Ariel Torres (USA) performs his kata during the semi-finals

Male Kumite -67kg: High-profile final featuring Oubaya and Almsatfa

Said Oubaya of Morocco and Abdel Rahman Almasatfa of Jordan are set for the final. Oubaya edged out Didar Amirali of Kazakhstan 1-1 in a tight bout, thanks to his advantage point. This will be Oubaya?s third final in three events after winning gold in Paris and Antalya. Almasatfa, an Olympian and current continental champion, beat Afeef Ghaith, also of Jordan, 3-0.

Female Kumite -55kg: Toro vs Stoli in the final

Valentina Toro of Chile and Maria Stoli of Greece will meet in the final. Toro, who is the current continental champion and had previously won bronze in Antalya, defeated Veronica Brunori of Italy 4-1. Meanwhile, first-time Karate 1 Premier League finalist Stoli overcame Viola Lallo of Italy 3-2.

Female Kumite +68kg: Final of Antalya repeated

Maria Torres of Spain and Johanna Kneer of Germany will go head-to-head in the final. Kneer, the current continental champion, beat Sofya Berultseva of Kazakhstan 4-1 and hopes to extend the gold she won at the Karate 1 Premier League Antalya. Torres, the current World Championships runner-up, defeated Clio Ferracuti of Italy 4-1 and reaches her third final in three events. The title-deciding bout will be a repetition of the final in Antalya, where Kneer defeated Torres to win the title.

The clashes to reach the semifinals were thrilling

Male Kumite +84kg: Heavy hitters Mahmoud and Sufyani reach final

Sanad Sufyani of Saudi Arabia and Taha Tarek Mahmoud of Egypt will fight in the final. Sufyani, who won silver at the 2023 Karate 1 Premier League Rabat, overcame Osman Osmanli of Azerbaijan 6-1. Meanwhile, the current leader of the standings and finalist in the two events of the season Mahmoud defeated Hocine Daikhi of Algeria 10-3, earning his spot in the final.

Stay tuned for the medal bouts on Sunday, as these finalists compete for gold in Cairo's Karate 1 Premier League. Karate enthusiasts are encouraged to subscribe to the WKF YouTube channel and set a reminder for the live-streaming sessions, ensuring they don't miss a moment of the gripping action. For live updates and exclusive content, follow the WKF on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and TikTok.  

2024 KARATE 1-PREMIER LEAGUE CAIRO

Grand Winner Kakeru Nishiyama qualified for the final