The 2021 Istanbul Premier League starts tomorrow Friday 12 (until Sunday). 1st Karate 1 for a year, it’s much more than a simple revival, it’s the 1st stage of the home stretch leading to the Olympics, even if it’s not a qualifying event.
Less than 5 months before the Games, test the distance, taste the sensations, smell the competition, observe the opposition. There is a challenge for champions ! They are all announced in Istanbul, or almost, Japan, England and France have declined the invitation.
By Ludovic Mauchien / Photo: Kphoto
Going to Istanbul is always a pleasure. This year, a little less. For this 1st Karate 1 Premier League since Salzburg in February 2020, the time has come for a reinforced health bubble. PCR test before taking the plane, new test on arrival, obligation to stay in the official hotel, ban on leaving the same hotel, the venue hosting the tournament being located within it. Either way, the restaurants are closed and only work through delivery. No spectators and limited number of people in the warm-up room during the tournament. On the way back, compulsory isolation of 7 days for many, at best because there is no zero risk. The conditions, more over normal given the health situation, are draconian.
But to smell the real competition again, to practice at the highest level a few months before the Tokyo Olympics, after a year without a tournament, it was well worth a little detour to the Bosphorus. In fact, almost everyone is announced, except Japan, England and France.
Istanbul’s K1, which replaces Baku for the organization, is not included in the Olympic qualifying route. But it’s important in more ways than one. No one has ever experienced such a situation in the past. It is therefore impossible to anticipate, to foresee, to draw inspiration from jurisprudence. Athlete management was and is an unknown. In addition, the training was variously planned according to the countries and the current health situations. Some continued to train almost as if nothing had happened, others eased off.
This Istanbul Karate 1 will give an overview of the forces within 5 months of the Games. Will there be a significant disparity in physical condition between nations ? For the athletes, it will be above all a question of having fun smelling this unique atmosphere of an international competition, of rediscovering the sensations of distance and timing, even of placing oneself mentally. The story begins again...
THE PROGRAM
Friday 12 (9 am-10 pm Istanbul time): Kata F, team Kata M, -60 kg, -67 kg, -75 kg, -50 kg, -55 kg
Saturday 13 (9 am-10 pm): Kata M, team Kata F, -84 kg, +84 kg, -61 kg, -68 kg, +68 kg
Sunday 14 (9 am - 6.30 pm): 3rd place and finals
THE MAIN ATHLETES
-60 kg
Crescenzo
Samdan
Saymatov
-67 kg
Elsawy
Figueira
Uygur
Pokorny
Tadissi
-75 kg
Aghayev
Busa
Eltemur
Scott
-84 kg
Aktas
F Abdesselem
Kvesic
Poorshab
Isakau
+84 kg
Arkania
Ganjzadeh
Horne
Jacquet ?
Kata M
Busato
Diaz
Heydarov
Sofuoglu
Quintero ?
-50 kg
Bahmanyar
Ozcelik
Plank
-55 kg
Cardin
Messerschmidt
Terliuga
Yakan
Kumizaki
-61 kg
Coban
Grande
Jumaa
Prekovic
Sivert
-68 kg
Buchinger
Abdelaziz
Matoub
Quirici
Semeraro
Zaretska
+68 kg
Chatziliadou
Kneer
Hocaoglu
Kata F
Sanchez
Eltemur
