The 2026 Karate One Premier League season is set to begin this weekend in Istanbul, Turkey, marking the first of four international tournaments organized by the World Karate Federation (WKF).
This event signals the return of the premier competition to Istanbul for the first time since 2021 and serves as the launchpad for the elite global karate season. The tournament is particularly significant as it introduces the WKF’s new visual identity for the Karate One circuit.
High expectations surround the inaugural event as the world’s top athletes prepare for their first major duels of the year. Significant focus remains on Egyptian karatekas Abdalla Abdelaziz, Youssef Baday, and Taha Mahmoud, who enter the competition as the 2025 Grand Winners. These three athletes will be the first to compete in the prestigious gold-embroidered karategi, a special uniform reserved exclusively for reigning Premier League champions.
The Egyptian titleholders face a formidable international field, including fellow champions such as Mo Sheung Grace Lau of Hong Kong, Assel Kanay of Kazakhstan, and Kakeru Nishiyama of Japan. As the competition unfolds from January 23 to 25, these elite practitioners will strive to maintain their status at the pinnacle of the sport against intense global competition in the Turkish capital.
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