(Photo WKF)
The 2026 Karate One Premier League Rome opened with a strong first day as the finalists were decided in six categories.
After an intense and emotional day, the tatami produced dramatic finishes and close scores, setting the stage for several high-level finals on Sunday.
Maho Ono of Japan and Grace Lau Mo Sheung of Hong Kong China will face each other in the Female Kata final. Ono secured her place after defeating Paola Garcia Lozano of Spain 5-2 in a strong semifinal performance.
On the other side of the bracket, Grace Lau edged past Kiri Mishima of Japan with a narrow 4-3 win. The final will repeat two recent major clashes between the athletes, including the finals in Istanbul and at the last World Championships, turning this matchup into a new classic in international karate.
Akhmed Akhmedov and Hiromu Hashimoto advance after dramatic Semifinals in Male Kumite -60 kg
Akhmed Akhmedov of WKF-1 reached the final of the Male Kumite -60 kg division after a dramatic 4-4 result against Burak Ozdemir of Türkiye, advancing on senshu.
In the other semifinal, Hiromu Hashimoto of Japan defeated Mekhriddin Turakhonov of Uzbekistan 7-5 in one of the most dynamic bouts of the session. The final will now see Akhmedov and Hashimoto clash for the title.
Yorgelis Salazar survives thriller in Female Kumite -50 kg
Yorgelis Salazar of Venezuela booked her place in the final with a narrow 6-5 victory over Italy’s Erminia Perfetto in a tense semifinal that kept the crowd engaged until the final seconds.
In the other bout, Cylia Ouikene of Algeria defeated Ludovica Legittimo of Italy 2-1 in a tactical fight. Salazar and Ouikene will now meet for gold in the Female Kumite -50 kg category.
Yugo Kozaki and Adel Omara Qualify for Male Kumite -67 kg final
Yugo Kozaki of Japan secured his spot in the final with a controlled 3-1 win against Iurik Ogannisian of WKF-1. Adel Omara of Egypt completed the final lineup after defeating Luca Maresca of Italy in the second semifinal due to the disqualification of his opponent.
Viola Lallo excites home crowd in Female Kumite -55 kg
Viola Lallo of Italy delivered one of the highlights of the day for the home crowd by defeating Louiza Abouriche of Algeria 5-1 in the semifinal.
Nejra Sipovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina also advanced after beating Sofiia Liaskalo of WKF-1. Lallo will now fight for gold in front of the Italian fans against Sipovic.
Heorhii Pitsul and Quentin Mahauden edge close contests in Male Kumite -75 kg
Heorhii Pitsul of Ukraine secured his place in the final after a tight 4-3 victory over Raiki Funato of Japan. In the other semifinal, Quentin Mahauden of Belgium defeated Abdalla Hesham Abdelgawad of Egypt to claim second place in the final. Pitsul and Mahauden will now face off for the Male Kumite -75 kg title.
With six finals now set, the tournament moves toward its decisive stages as athletes return to the tatami to fight for the first titles of this historic Premier League event in Italy.
