Dubai: The UAE picked up two gold medals, while Iran and France consolidated on their top positions at the end of the second day of the 2nd Dubai International Karate Championships held at the Al Ahli Club here on Friday.
The UAE’s Saadi Abbas defeated his Al Ahli Club teammate Omar Kemloglu to win the gold medal in the male seniors’ -67kgs category, and a few minutes later the UAE trio of Amna Ali, Hamidah Haji and Howra Mohammad helped themselves to the team gold in the women’s junior kumite category.
France also added another medal to their opening day’s gold medal tally of two when Sarcelles Club’s Kenji Grillon beat Iran’s Yahya Soltanikal for the male seniors’ -84kgs crown.
Not to be outdone, Iran added two more gold medals the one they won on the first day when Mansour Yariilzoleh beat teammate Ali Mohammad Jafargholizadeh for the male seniors’ +84kgs title and Mohammad Reza Baksh defeated Kuwait’s Mohammad Al Asousi in the male seniors’ -75kgs category.
Earlier, the three-day competition being held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman, Dubai Sports Council, was opened by Antonio Espinos Ortueta, President, World Karate Federation. He was joined by Nasser Abdul Razzaq Al Razouki and Duaij Al Raisi, President and Vice-President UAE Karate and Taekwondo Federation, and Dr Ahmad Saad Al Sharif, General Secretary, Dubai Sports Council.
Egypt and France had been among the multiple medal winners on the opening night of the Championships on Thursday. The Egypt were the early leaders in the medal standings with five gold medals, followed by France with two golds.
Kuwait, Spain, Turkey and Iran had all ended the first day with one gold medal each. Kuwait’s medal came from Salman Abdul Hussain Sayed when he defeated his brother Mohammad in the Kata individual male juniors, while Francisco Jose Salazar won the lone gold for Spain when he defeated the UAE’s Ahmad Al Swafy in the Kata individual male seniors.
Ece Yasser took the only medal for Turkey when she defeated Russia’s Olga Malofeeva for the Kumite female seniors -61kgs title, and 16-year-old Nima Aziz Khani did Iran and himself proud by defeating Egypt’s Omar Yousuf for the Kumite male juniors -76kgs crown.
The annual competition, which has attracted a strong field of 1,025 karatekas from 45 countries from all over the world, including several world champions, was opened late on Thursday.
