The next stop for the karatekas was Larnaca. The second stage of Serie A, which started in January in Tbilisi, took place in Cyprus. Athletes from all over the world competed at the Kition Sports Centre, aiming not only to win medals but also to improve their positions in the WKF World Rankings.
With its growing reputation in the world of karate, Larnaca has become a significant venue for international events, having successfully hosted the 2023 and 2024 Series A competitions, as well as the 2023 European Cadet, Junior and U21 Championships.
Last year, Serie A in Cyprus attracted more than 800 athletes, making it one of the most popular competitions on the calendar. And the latest tournament only reinforced this trend. This time, more than 1,100 athletes from 86 countries gathered in Larnaca. This figure helps set new records for the number of participants in Serie A. After all, at the first stage in Tbilisi, more than 1,000 karatekas from 83 countries competed. The largest delegation was represented by Italy – 116 athletes. Also in the top three in terms of the number of participants were France (55) and Germany (54).
Series A is usually attended by karatekas ranked 33rd and below in the WKF rankings. And they are determined to earn points to reach the Top 32 and have a chance to challenge for the Premier League.
Bao Bednarski Sophie, competing in the +68 kg weight category, showed herself quite well. She started with a difficult victory over Songklin Kewalin (Thailand), where everything was decided by one precise blow, and then defeated Ben Taieb Isra (Tunisia, 5:2). In the quarterfinals, the Swede lost to Mahgoub Haidi (EGY, 4:0), but since her offender subsequently reached the semifinals, Bao Bednarski got a chance to play in the consolation block. In the first match, she convincingly defeated Stamer Selina (GER, 10:0), but in the match for bronze, she lost to Pergolesi Asia (ITA) – 2:3. Fifth place brought Sophie 375 ranking points.
Another karateka, Haag Alexandra, also competed in this category. The Swedish athlete defeated Koetsier Sannie (NED, 7:0) in the first round, but then lost to Torres Doncel Shanee (COL) – 1:9. The Colombian advanced to the final, while Haag began the fight in the repechage block, where she faced Sejdijaj Diellza (KOS). Despite the fact that Alexandra had a good chance of winning, the match ended in a draw (9:9), and her opponent advanced. By the way, she was seriously injured and was unable to continue the match.
In the weight category up to 84 kg, Buhaiov Maksym took seventh place. The Ukrainian karateka began with a victory over Elguir Ilies (France, 3:1), and then defeated Ortenzi Andrea (Italy, 3:0), Manaa Ahmed (Egypt, 0:0) and Haubold Janne (Germany, 2:1). This gave him the opportunity to reach the quarterfinals, where Buhaiov lost to Confiac Hendrick (France) – 0:1. Then the Frenchman reached the final, and the Ukrainian fought with Namozov Shuxratjohn (UZB) in the consolation block, losing to him by one point – 0:1.
In the overall standings, teams from Iran, Japan and Egypt performed well, winning medals of various denominations in various categories. The third stage of the Karate 1-Series A season will be held from September 5 to 7 in Salzburg (Austria).
Also read about Karate EKF Cadet Junior and U21 Championships Poland 2025
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