Christian Sabatino Completes Remarkable Comeback to Secure Grand Winner Title

Italy’s Christian Sabatino completed one of the most remarkable stories of the season by claiming the Grand Winner title after winning gold at the Karate One Premier League Rabat. At just 21 years old, Sabatino overturned a deficit of 780 points in the standings to finish the year as Grand Winner.

The achievement marks a stunning rise for the young Italian athlete. Before this season, Sabatino had never won a medal in an international event. He first claimed the bronze medal in Istanbul before reaching the top of the podium in Rabat to secure the biggest accolade of the season.

“I feel absolutely delighted; to pull it off in the very last tournament – I didn’t expect it. I have to thank my team and I have to thank myself, because I did it. I can’t quite put it into words; I feel absolutely over the moon, and I hope this isn’t the first and last time,” said Sabatino.

Sabatino opened his campaign in Rabat with a dominant performance in the pool stage. He defeated Georgia’s David Tkebuchava 6-0 before edging Kazakhstan’s Darkhan Timraliyev 3-2 to finish at the top of his group.

The Italian continued his impressive run in the knockout rounds. In the quarterfinals, he earned a solid 2-0 victory over Japan’s Hiroki Ito. He then advanced to the gold-medal bout after overcoming Morocco’s Ahmed Haddadi 8-2 in the semifinals.

In the final, Sabatino faced Egypt’s Zyad Elgharib Aly. The Italian delivered another confident display and secured an 8-5 victory to clinch the title in Rabat.

“I could only win the Grand Winner title by finishing first, and I did it. My opponent is really strong; I’ve already clashed against him once in Istanbul, and both there and today it was a unique bout,” he added.

The gold medal not only crowned Sabatino as champion of the final Premier League event of the season but also completed an extraordinary comeback in the race for the Grand Winner award.

“I’ll remember this forever because it’s the first time I win this award; And it’s also the first time I’ve made it to the final. It’s incredible,” he stated.