Under the patronage of King Mohamed VI, the Royal Moroccan University for Karate (FRMK) held the 13th International King Mohamed VI Open Karate 1-Premier League from 14-16 April in Rabat, the imperial city with the great history. “The King Mohammed VI Open is the most important sports event conducted during the year for our federation which reflects its ability -- together with the organizing committee -- to fulfill the vision and mission of our leader His Majesty King Mohammed VI,” Mohamed Muqtabeel, head of FRMK, said in his welcoming address. “It is our pleasure to host all the countries representing the seven continents of the world to participate in the three-day event.” Karate The Karate 1-Premier League is the most important league event in the world of karate. It comprises a number of the most prominent karate competitions and champions to bring together the best karate athletes in the world in an open championships of unprecedented scale and quality. Initiated in 2011, the 2017 edition is formed of five events being held in Paris, Rotterdam, Dubai, Rabat and Leipzig, thus stating karate's impact all around the world and its global scale. The league is also considered a way of evaluating the players before the 2020 Olympic Games where karate will be introduced for the first time. The Egyptian delegation, headed by Mustafa Fekri, a board member of the federation, knows the importance of such karate events. “That's why the national team had a one-week training camp in Tunisia before flying to Morocco to put the players in good shape and prepare them physically and mentally, especially that their Tunisian counterparts are experienced players,” Fekri explained. Karate At the end of the season, the champions of each category are presented with the “Grand Winners” award. In order to be eligible to receive the award, competitors have to participate in at least three events on two continents during the season. In individual categories in both kumite and kata events, the gold medalist receives €500, silver medalist €300 and bronze €100. As for kata team categories, the gold medalist receives €600, the silver medalist €400 and bronze medalist €200 while the grand winners collect €1,000. The competitions were held in kata individual female and male (16 years and older), kata team female and male (16 years and older), kumite individual female (18 years and older): -50kg, -55kg, -61kg, -68kg, +68kg and kumite individual male (18 years and older): -60kg, -67kg, -75kg, -84kg, +84kg. Rabat hosted the Karate 1-Premier League for the 13th time. After Paris, Rotterdam and Dubai, Rabat hosted the fourth stop. The first major international tournament being held on African soil this season demonstrated karate's global impact, as athletes from African nations dominated the final medals table. Egypt came in first place with 10 medals: five gold, one silver and four bronze followed by host Morocco with 13 medals but less gold. The Pharaohs made an impact in Rabat as their performance was so remarkable that up to five categories were dominated by representatives of the African country. Radwa Sayed in female kumite -50kg, Aya Shaaban in female kumite -55kg, Malek Salama in male kumite -60kg, Ali Al-Sawi in male kumite -67kg, and Ahmed Said in male kumite +84kg were responsible for turning the Karate 1-Premier League Rabat into an Egyptian celebration. Egypt's sole silver medal came from Yasmine Hamdi in the 55kg weight category. Egypt's four bronze medals were won by Ferial Ashraf and Nada Al-Sayed in +68kg, Mohamed Al-Katbi in -84kg and Ahmed Ragab +84kg. Karate “It is a great achievement as the players surprised us,” Ayman Abdel-Hamid, Egypt's Karate Federation president, said. “It is the first time that we collect five gold medals when not playing at home. It was a clear cut message and a strong one that the Pharaohs are coming.” Fekri added that the event was a good chance for the athletes to be prepared before representing Egypt in the Islamic Solidarity Games to take place in August in Azerbaijan as karate was chosen by the Egyptian Olympic Committee to be the country's sole representative due to its achievements. Moroccan karatekas showcased the rising status of karate in African countries and used the home ground factor to claim 13 medals. Najlae Karchali in female kumite -61kg, Mohammed Elhanni in male kata and the female kata team all became local heroes after taking the Moroccan flag to the top of the podium. World Karate Federation (WKF) President Antonio Espinós thanked the Moroccans for the “marvelous organisation and the welcoming atmosphere” they witnessed with such a huge number of participating countries, 47.
