Last Finalists Set as Grand Winner Race Reaches Its Peak at Karate One Rabat

The quest for the final titles of the season reached its highest point on the second day of the 2026 Karate One Premier League Rabat. Athletes clashed for places in Sunday's finals while the fight for the prestigious Grand Winner awards added extra excitement to the last tournament of the year.

Ohata Kotaro and Kakeru Nishiyama Lead All-Japanese Male Kata Final

Japan secured both spots in the Male Kata final. Ohata Kotaro advanced after edging Ariel Torres Gutierrez of the United States 4-3, while Nishiyama Kakeru defeated Moto Kazumasa of Japan by a dominant 7-0 score.

Nishiyama also confirmed his position asGrand Winner for a fifth consecutive season, extending his remarkable reign at the top of the category.

Monica Arzumian and Sawsane Benchbab Make History in Female Kumite -61kg

A new chapter was written in Female Kumite -61kg as first-time finalists Monica Arzumian of France and Sawsane Benchbab of Morocco secured their places in the gold medal bout. Arzumian claimed a narrow 3-2 victory over Shimada Sarara of Japan, while Benchbab cruised past Wafa Mahjoub of Tunisia 7-0.

Despite missing the final,Sarara Shimada secured the Grand Winner awardafter confirming her lead in the season standings.

Youssef Badawy and Mohammad Aljafari Keep Grand Winner Quest Alive in Male Kumite -84kg

The fight for the Grand Winner title remains open in Male Kumite -84kg. Youssef Badawy of Egypt booked his place in the final with a 6-2 victory over Eduard Gasparian of WKF-1. Mohammad Aljafari of Jordan joined him after defeating Konstantinos Mastrogiannis of Greece 8-2.

Aljafari and Gasparian remain locked in a tense clash for the season crown heading into the final stages of the tournament.

Iryna Zaretska and Kama Tsubasa Advance in Female Kumite -68kg

Iryna Zaretska of Azerbaijan and Kama Tsubasa of Japan moved into the final after closely contested semifinal victories. Zaretska overcame Jana Hazem Elsayed of Egypt 2-1, while Kama defeated Elina Sieliemienieva of Ukraine by the same score.

The Grand Winner award is still undecided, with Kama, Zaretska and Sieliemienieva all remaining in contention.

Ahmed Elmasry and Andjelo Kvesic Reach Final as Rodrigo Rojas Secures Grand Winner Honour

Ahmed Elmasry of Egypt earned his place in the Male Kumite +84kg final after a dramatic 5-4 win over Rodrigo Rojas of Chile. In the other semifinal, Andjelo Kvesic of Croatia defeated Kentaro Yamauchi of Japan 3-1.

Although he fell short of the final,Rojas completed an outstanding seasonand officially claimed the Grand Winner award.

Clio Ferracuti and Rochelle Walters Set Up Female Kumite +68kg Final

Clio Ferracuti of Italy and Rochelle Walters of England will compete for gold after impressive semifinal performances. Ferracuti edged Brenda Pereira of Brazil 4-3, while Walters recorded a commanding 9-1 victory over Robin Vanwezel of the Netherlands.

The Grand Winner crown in the category was already secured bySofya Berultseva of Kazakhstan, who completed a sensational season to finish on top of the standings.

All eyes now turn to the final day of competition in Rabat, where medals, titles and the last Grand Winner races of the season will be decided.

Fans can catch all the action as it happens on theWKF YouTube channel. Join Karate Fan to watch the medal bouts of Rabat.

2026 KARATE ONE PREMIER LEAGUE RABAT