Egypt’s Ali Elsawy became one of the big names of the 2021 Karate 1-Premier League Istanbul. The Egyptian karateka won the gold medal in Male Kumite -67kg, his first title of Karate’s most important competition in nearly two years.
The 2021 Karate 1-Premier League Istanbul was the first international Karate event after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and it represented Karate’s return to competition. Top athletes used the opportunity to take a step forward in their quest for Karate’s domination and in their journey to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. That was the case of Ali Elsawy.
“The gold medal in Istanbul means a lot to me after a year without tournaments. I have regained my self-confidence and I have recuperated the passion for my dream, which is to win a medal at the Olympic Games,” said Elsawy.
The Egyptian champion prevailed in the category of Male Kumite -67kg after edging local hopeful Burak Uygur of Turkey by “Hantei” or decision. Both competitors had taken 3 points in a tight final bout with the referees declaring Elsawy as the winner.
Elsawy’s victory in Istanbul was his first gold medal in a Karate 1 event since his triumph at the 2019 Karate 1 Premier League Rabat. After his title in Rabat, the Cairo-native, who started doing Karate at the age of 5, was never away from the podium. He won bronze medals in the 2019 Karate 1-Premier League Shangai and in the last event before the pandemic, the 2020 Karate 1-Premier League Salzburg. The Egyptian karateka also took silver in the 2020 Karate 1-Series A Santiago and in the 2019 Karate 1-Premier League Moscow.
Source: www.wkf.net
