TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran won takes two gold medals at Karate-1 Premier League. In the Male Kumite +84 kilograms category, Grand Winner Sajad Ganzjadeh beat Ryzvan Talibov of Ukraine 7-0 in the final.

Asian champion Zabiollah Poorshab won a gold medal after the withdrawal of Kazakhstan’s Daniyar Yuldashev due to an injury in the final match of the Male Kumite +84.

Rozita Alipour won a silver medal at the Female Kumite -61 Kg.

She had to meet world champion Jovana Prekovic of Serbia in the final match but pulled out of the match due to injury.

Sara Bahmanyar took a bronze, defeating Kateryna Krayva from Ukraine 4-0 in the Female Kumite -50 Kg third-place match.

Aliasghar Asiabari defeated Turkey’s Erman Eltumur 3-0 in the bronze medal match of the Male Kumite -75 Kg.

The last international competition was over a year ago in Salzburg in Austria, which ended on March 1.

Nearly 600 countries from 72 countries took part in the competition.

The city of Istanbul in Turkey was Karate’s capital from March 12 to 14 as the first international event after the pandemic outbreak took place there. Expectations are running high among the whole Karate family since the wait is finally over. The last international competition took place in Salzburg, Austria) from Feb. 28 to March 01, 2020.

Nearly 600 karatekas from 72 countries are registered to participate in the event. Seven Grand Winners including local star Serap Ozcelik Arapoglu and World title-holders Sandra Sanchez of Spain and Irina Zaretska of Azerbaijan and no less than nine World champions such as Jonathan Horne of Germany and Bahman Asgari Ghoncheh of Iran have confirmed their presence in Istanbul.

Iran sent seven male and six female karatekas to the prestigious event.

Amir Mehdizadeh, Aliasghar Asiabari, Bahman Asgari Ghoncheh, Zabihollah Poorshab, Sajad Ganjzadeh, Saleh Abazari and Abolfazl Shahrjerdi represented Iran’s men’s team.

And Rozita Alipour, Sara Bahmanyar, Shima Alesaadi, Fatemeh Sadeghi, Negin Bagheri and Mahsa Afsaneh are members of Iran’s female team.

The tournament was scheduled to start on Friday, March 12. The finals were slated for Sunday, March 14.

Istanbul was hosting the Karate 1-Premier League for the seventh time. The last time that the Turkish city welcomed Karate’s biggest event was in 2018.

Iran topped the medal table with three golds followed by Japan and Turkey both with two gold medals.