Iran will not have achieved its feat of 2013 : finishing 1st nation at the Asian championships that were just held in Amman, Jordan (July 13-15). Japan, with its 4 gold medals in Kata and 4 other ones in Kumite, leads the continent. With their 4 titles in Kumite, the Iranians however finish best fighters. Jordan, at home, ranks 3rd.
By Florian Fournier
Photos: K-Photos
Men
-55 kg: Big first for Majid Hassan
Iran's Majid Hassan wins his first senior title. In the final, he beat Saudi Arabia’s Albasher, 6-0.
-60 kg: Abdullah Shaaban first !
The World champion and two-time defender, Iran’s Amir Mehdizadeh fell in the first round against Japan's Yugo Kozaki. Uzbek Saddridin Saymatov lost in the semi-finals 6-5 to Vietnam's Nguyen, who will lose 9-0 in the final against Abdullah Shaaban, qualified in the AKF team. Saymatov finally gets the bronze.
-67 kg: Abdel Almasatfa wins at home
What a victory for Jordan’s Almasatfa ! Unknown on the international scene, this young karateka wins his first Senior title at home, winning his final against Saudi Arabia’s defender, Fahad Alkhathami 4-0.
-75 kg: Bashar Alnajjar thwarts the prognosis
We could expect Ken Nishimura or Raef Alturkistani but it is finally Bashar Alnajjar who wins this category of -75 kg. The Jordan fighter was solid in the final with a 6-4 win over Iran's Ali Asiabari.
-84 kg: Araga is the boss
Ryutaro Araga was imperial. The Japanese fighter, rather discreet this season on the international scene, remained the boss on his continent. The world champion conceded only one point, against 19 scored ! In the final, he won 2-0 against Mahmoud Sajan, who was playing at home.
+84 kg: Abazari crushes, Kagawa in the final
In the final against Japan's Hideyoshi Kagawa, Iran's Abazari, winner of the Istanbul Premier League in June, won his first Asian title on the 8-0 score.
Team: Iran adorns itself with gold
Winner of Japan in the semi-finals (3-2), Iran wins logically (3-0) against Saudi Arabia in the final. Led by Poorshab and Ganjzadeh, the Iranian fighters have confirmed their status of great Kumite nation.
Kata: The faultless Kiyuna
Ryo Kiyuna simply won all his rounds by 5-0. The double world champion has found in the final Taipei’s Yi-Ta Wang who he had already beaten in the final of the 2018 Paris Open.
Kata team: Japan without rival
The Japanese trio (Kinjo, Kiyuna, Uemura) is undoubtedly the number 1. Unsurprisingly, they dominated the Malaysians 5-0 in the final.
Women:
-50 kg: Miyahara, of course
Winner of the Paris Open this year, Miho Miyahara was the big favorite of the championship. The Japanese world silver medalist won in the final against China's Li Ranran (5-5). This is her first continental title.
-55 kg: Wen Tzu-Yun achieves a hat-trick
Two-time defender, Wen Tzu-Yun from Taiwan won her 3rd titil in a row. Her opponent in the final, Indonesia’s Sanistyarani Agung, could do nothing (5-2).
-61 kg: Yin Xiaoyan at his hand
World Number 1, China’s Yin Xiaoyan won her third continental title. In the final, she beat Vietnam’s Thi Ngoan Nguyen. (4-0)
-68 kg: Kayo Someya is still on
World champion in 2012, Kayo Someya won a new title of Asian champion, the third one. In the final, Vietnam’s Thi Tu Hien Ho could not do much and lost 3-0.
+68 kg: Queen Uekusa beaten !
Ayumi Uekusa, world number 1 and World champion, lost in the semi-final to Iran's Hamideh Abbasa. In big champion, the Japanese fighter then seeked and got the bronze. Her winner, Hamideh Abbasa wins her final 8-0 and thus gleans her second Asian champion title after 2013 in Japan.
Team Kumite: Japan responds present
With Uekusa and Someya in its ranks, the Japanese team was the great favorite for this tournament. Setting themselves up to the final against Kazakhstan (2-0), they prepared in the best manner the World championships, which will take place in Madrid from November 6th to 11th.
Kata: Shimizu takes back his property
The duel between Shimizu and Grace Lau took place in the semi-finals and, unlike the two previous times, the Japanese champion won 5-0. In the final, Shimizu repeated this score against Malaysia’s Lee Celine Xin Yi for a new continental title after that of 2015.
Kata team: Japan too strong
Not surprisingly, the Japanese team won with a 5-0 victory in the final against the Malaysian team. Far above other teams in all aspects of Kata, the future looks bright for this team.
Podiums
Men
-55kg :
- Hassan Majid (Ira)
- Albasher Saud (KSA)
- Shymyrbekov Daulet (Kaz) and Selvam Kumar (Mas)
-60kg :
- Shaaban Abdullah (AKF 1)
- Nguyen Van Hai (Vie)
- Sawangsri Siravit (Thai) and Saymatov Saddridin (Uzb)
-67kg :
- Almastfa Abdel Raman (Jor)
- Alkhathami Fahad (KSA)
- Muratov Assylbek (Kaz) and Uzakov Ikboljon (Uzb)
-75kg:
1.Alnajjar Bashar (Jor)
- Asiabari Ali (Ira)
- Alturkistani Raef (Ksa) and Firmansah Sandi (Ina)
-84kg :
- Araga Ryutaro (Jap)
- Sajan Mahmoud (Jor)
- Khodabakhsi Mahdi (Ira) and Alnashri Faraj (Ksa)
+84kg :
- Abazari Saleh (Ira)
- Kagawa Hideyoshi (Jap)
- Kangtong Teerawat (Tha) and Hamedi Tareg (Ksa)
Team kumite:
- Iran
- Saudi Arabia
- Japan and Kazakhstan
Kata :
- Kiyuna Ryo (Jap)
- Wang Yi-Ta (Tpe)
- Almosawi Salman (Akf1) and Cheng Chris (Hkg)
Team Kata:
- Japan
- Malaysia
- AKF 1 and UAE
Women :
-50kg :
- Miyahara Miho (Jap)
- Li Ranran (Chi)
- Tsang Ting (HK) and Gu Shiau-Shang (Tpe)
-55kg :
- Wen Tzu-Yun (Tpe)
- Agung Istri (Ina)
- Mukhtar Aruzhan (Kaz) and Khamsi Tippawan (Tha)
-61kg :
- Yin Xiaoyan (Chi)
- Thi Ngoan Nguyen (Vie)
- Nurjanah Intan (Ina) and Alesaadi Shima (Ira)
-68kg :
- Someya Kayo (Jap)
- Thi Thu Hien Ho (Vie)
- Georgia Ceyco (Ina) and Tang LingLing (Chi)
+68kg:
- Abbasa Hamideh (Ira)
- Wen Tzu-Hsuan (Tpe)
- Uekusa Ayumi (Jap) and Pereira Cristina (Mac)
Equipe Kumite:
- Japan
- Kazhakstan
- Vietnam and China
Kata :
- Shimizu Kiyou (Jap)
- Lee Celine (Mas)
- Lau Grace (HK) and Kautsar Nawar (Ina)
Equipe Kata :
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Iran and Vietnam
Classement des nations :
- Japan (8 gold ; 1 silver ; 2 bronze)
- Iran (4 gold ; 1 silver ; 3 bronze)
- Jordan (2 gold ; 1 silver ; 0 bronze)
- Taipei (1 gold ; 2 silver ; 1 bronze)
- China (1 gold ; 1 silver ; 2 bronze)
