(Photo WKF)
The 2026 Karate One Premier League season began in Istanbul with a thrilling first day that saw breakthrough for several new faces. The championships also saw Grand Winners Abdalla Abdelaziz, Eray Samdan and Mo Sheung Grace Lau confirming their status.
Female Kata – Grand Winner Mo Sheung Grace Lau Sets Up Familiar Final
Grace Lau Mo Sheung of Hong Kong, China, current Grand Winner and World Champion of the category, booked her place in the final of Female Kata with a dominating 7–0 victory against Hisami Nakaji of Japan. She will face Maho Ono of Japan, who reached the final with a 6–1 win over Paola Garcia Lozano of Spain. The final repeats last season’s biggest clashes in the category, with the two strongest athletes meeting again for gold.
Male Kumite -60 kg – Eray Samdan Shines at Home
Grand Winner Eray Samdan of Türkiye reached the final with a strong 5–2 win over Christos-Stefanos Xenos of Greece. Wearing the new golden karategi, the current Grand Winner looked sharp and confident. He will meet Nuri Kilic of Türkiye, who advanced after an open and attacking 9–4 win against Sami Tas of France.
Female Kumite -50 kg – Shara Hubrich vs Rising Star Agnes Nyman
Shara Hubrich of Germany moved into the final with a controlled 3–0 win over Ema Sgardelli of Croatia. The continental bronze medallist is chasing what could be her last Premier League title. On the other side, Agnes Nyman of Sweden continued her dream debut. The 18-year-old reached the final in her first senior international event after edging Cylia Ouikene of Algeria 2–0.
Male Kumite -67 kg – New Ground for Ogannisian and Baliotis
Iurik Ogannisian of WKF-1 secured his final spot with a narrow 5–4 win over Abdel Rahman Almasatfa of Jordan. The continental runner-up has never reached a Karate One Premier League final before. He will face Georgios Baliotis of Greece, who claimed a tight 1–0 victory against Cheng-Chung Shih of Chinese Taipei. Baliotis owns two Premier League bronzes, but this is also his first final.
Female Kumite -55 kg – Nina Kvasnicova Keeps Rolling
Nina Kvasnicova of Slovakia stayed in top form with a solid 5–1 win over Chaimae Elhayti of Morocco. The current world championships runner-up looks comfortable in Istanbul. She will meet Bella Samasheva of Kazakhstan, who progressed after a tense 1–0 win against Tsui-Ping Ku of Chinese Taipei. This is Samasheva’s first final since winning gold at the Antalya Premier League in 2024.
Male Kumite -75 kg – Faruk Yurur Faces the Champion and Grand Winner Abdelaziz
Omer Faruk Yurur of Türkiye earned his final place after a dramatic 7–6 win over Ghoncheh Bahman Asgari of Iran. Yurur has reached three Premier League finals before but is still chasing his first gold. Standing in his way is Abdalla Abdelaziz of Egypt. The defending Grand Winner and current world champion advanced with a 2–0 victory over Yusei Sakiyama of Japan and adds one more final to his outstanding list of honours, thus demonstrating his star status.
