Asian Stars Advance to Finals on Opening Day of AKF Senior Championships in Bali

The first day of the AKF Senior Championships in Bali, Indonesia, brought together the continent’s top karate athletes in the race for Asian titles. Four categories completed their elimination rounds on Thursday, setting up exciting finals featuring reigning champions, newly proclaimed Grand Winners, and rising stars.

Grace Lau and Maho Ono set for another major showdown

The final in Female Kata will feature Maho Ono of Japan against Mo Sheung Grace Lau of Hong Kong China. Both athletes advanced with dominant 7-0 victories in the semifinals. Ono defeated Fatemeh Sadeghi Dastak of Iran, while Lau overcame Sakura Alforte of the Philippines.

The final has become one of the most familiar rivalries in international karate. It was the final at every Karate One Premier League event this season and also decided last year’s continental title. Lau enters the contest as the defending Asian champion and newly crowned Grand Winner. Ono will be aiming to claim her first Asian title.

Sayed Salman Almosawi and Kakeru Nishiyama renew rivalry

The Male Kata final will once again pit Sayed Salman Almosawi of Kuwait against Kakeru Nishiyama of Japan. Almosawi secured his place in the final with a convincing 7-0 win over Ali Zand of Iran. Nishiyama advanced after defeating Rakan Albadri of Saudi Arabia.

The matchup is a repeat of last year’s Asian final. Almosawi, the current continental runner-up, will look to go one step further this time. Nishiyama arrives in Bali as the newly proclaimed Grand Winner for a record fifth time and is chasing his fifth Asian title.

Sultan Musayri reaches first international final against titleholderZholaman Bigabyl

The Male Kumite -55kg final will feature Sultan Musayri of Saudi Arabia and Zholaman Bigabyl of Kazakhstan. Musayri booked his place in the gold-medal match after edging Do Duy Khanh of Vietnam on senshu following a 10-10 draw. Bigabyl advanced with an 8-3 victory over Behnam Dehghanzadeh of Iran.

The final presents a clash between experience and ambition. Bigabyl is the defending continental champion, while Musayri has reached the first international final of his career and is now guaranteed his first medal at this level.

Yee Ting Tsang and Junhui Wang target continental glory

The Female Kumite -50kg final will see Yee Ting Tsang of Hong Kong China face Junhui Wang of China. Tsang progressed after defeating Ya-Chi Chung of Chinese Taipei on senshu following a 5-5 draw. Wang earned her place in the final by overcoming Aika Okazaki of Japan.

Tsang won the Asian title in 2023 and is aiming to recover the crown. Wang arrives with strong credentials after taking bronze at last year’s championships and now has the opportunity to fight for her first continental gold medal.

With four finals confirmed, the AKF Senior Championships have already delivered high-level performances and compelling storylines. The clash for Asia’s most prestigious karate titles continues in Bali as the finalists prepare for their decisive contests.

2026 AKF Senior Championships

(Pictures: Sport Action @sportactionteam )