The first North American Karate 1 Series A tournament was a great success, with nearly 750 athletes from 79 countries competing for medals and qualifying points for Tokyo 2020. “Hosting this event was a huge challenge for Karate Canada to take on.” said Olivier Pineau, Executive Director of Karate Canada. “But we’re extremely proud of the performances of our teams – the vast team of volunteers and staff who organized this exceptional and unforgettable tournament, and our Canadian Team, who represented us admirably, with a silver medal, 2 bronze medals and 2 Top 7. Our preparation towards the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is definitely progressing well.”

Daniel Gaysinsky (Caledon, ON) took the silver medal in the + 84kg kumite event, losing a close final to Turkey’s Alparslan Yamanoglu, a formidable opponent ranked 4th in the world. Haya Jumaa (Mississauga, ON) won the bronze medal in the kumite -61kg event against Japan’s Mayumi Someya (world #9). The men’s kata team, consisting of Nicholas Mustapha, Alison Nonato and Ryan Shields, also won bronze. For full results of the competition, please visit the Sportdata event page.

The World Karate Federation awards sanctions for only 4 Series A tournaments in a year, worldwide. “The organization of this major tournament allowed our athletes to compete on Canadian soil, in front of their parents and friends,” said Karate Canada President Craig Vokey. “It was a great opportunity to showcase karate in front of the Canadian public, in addition to demonstrating the high level and expertise of our athletes. Mission accomplished!”

Karate Canada and its hosting partner Karaté Québec wish to thank the Government of Canada, the Government of Quebec, Tourism Montreal, the City of Montreal and the Montreal Sheraton Centre. This event would not have been possible without their precious support. We would also like to sincerely thank the World Karate Federation and Mr Dominique Sigillo (WKF Supervisor) for their trust, Mrs Fariba Madani (the tournament’s Chief Referee), the whole Sportdata team and the Organizing Committee of the event. Finally, a last heartfelt thank you to all the athletes, coaches, referees and volunteers for being at the Montreal 2019 WKF Karate 1 Series A event and for making it such a success!

Photo: Jean-Philippe Béland