WKF unveils list of first 40 athletes to qualify for Tokyo 2020

The World Karate Federation (WKF) is pleased to announce the first 40 athletes to qualify for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where Karate will be making its historic Olympic debut this summer.

Thirty-two places were allocated to the four highest-ranked athletes per gender in each of the Olympic categories, while Japan was allotted a host quota of eight athletes, one per category.

The full list follows:

MALE KATA

Damian Quintero (ESP)
Ryo Kiyuna (JPN)
Ali Sofuoglu (TUR)
Antonio Diaz (VEN)
Mattia Busato (ITA)

FEMALE KATA

Sandra Sanchez (ESP)
Kiyou Shimizu (JPN)
Vivian Bottaro (ITA)
Mo Sheung Grace Lau (HKG)
Sakura Kokumai (USA)

MALE KUMITE -67KG

Darkhan Assadilov (KAZ)
Steven Dacosta (FRA)
Angelo Crescenzo (ITA)
Ali Elsawy (EGY)
Naoto Sago (JPN)

FEMALE KUMITE -55KG

Serap Ozcelik Arapoglu (TUR)
Anzhelika Terliuga (UKR)
Tzu-Yun Wen (TPE)
Miho Miyahara (JPN)
Sara Bahmanyar (IRI)

MALE KUMITE -75KG

Bahman Asgari Ghoncheh (IRI)
Luigi Busa (ITA)
Rafael Aghayev (AZE)
Stanislav Horuna (UKR)
Ken Nishimura (JPN)

FEMALE KUMITE -61KG

Xiaoyan Yin (CHN)
Giana Lotfy (EGY)
Jovana Prekovic (SRB)
Merve Coban (TUR)
Mayumi Someya (JPN)

MALE KUMITE +75KG

Ugur Aktas (TUR)
Sajad Ganzjadeh (IRI)
Jonathan Horne (GER)
Ivan Kvesic (CRO)
Ryutaro Araga (JPN)

FEMALE KUMITE +61KG

Irina Zaretska (AZE)
Hamideh Abbasali (IRI)
Li Gong (CHN)
Meltem Hocaoglu Akyol (TUR)
Ayumi Uekusa (JPN)

In total, 80 karateka (40 women and 40 men) will compete at Tokyo 2020 – 60 in kumite and 20 in kata.

A further 24 athletes will qualify for Tokyo 2020 at the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Paris from 11-13 June, while 12 additional Olympic berths will be allocated according to continental representation.

Up to 4 another karateka will book their tickets to Tokyo through Tripartite Commission invitation places.

The Karate competition at Tokyo 2020 is scheduled for 5-7 August 2021 at the iconic Nippon Budokan, with medals being awarded on each competition day.