Four Turkish karatekas reached the finals of their respective categories, in the first international karate competition for just over a year, after action was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Among them was Grand Winner Serap Özçelik Arapoğlu who reached the final of the female Kumite under-50 kilograms category.

After defeating Sara Bahmanyar of Iran 5-2 Arapoğlu will face Germany’s Shara Hubrich in the final, after she defeated Egypt’s Reem Ahmed Salama 2-0.

In the female Kata category, Turkey’s Dilara Bozan reached the final after topping her pool with a score of 25.52.

She will face world champion and Grand Winner Sandra Sanchez of Spain, who topped her pool in dominant fashion with a score of 26.68.

Turkey’s next finalist came in the male Kumite -60kg category, with Eray Samdan reaching the final after beating Sadriddin Saymatov of Uzbekistan by first unopposed point.

Samdan will take on Firdovsi Farzaliyev of Azerbaijan after he beat North Macedonia’s Emil Pavlov 5-2.

Turkey’s fourth finalist came in the male Kumite -67kg category, with 2018 European Championships gold medallist Burak Uygur defeating Devid Nhuyen of Belarus.

Uygur will take on Ali Elsawy of Egypt after he overcame Assylbek Muratov of Kazakhstan 4-0.

Two further categories were contested today, with the female Kumite -55kg category an all South American affair.

Valentina Toro of Chile edged out Grand Winner Anzhelika Terliuga of Ukraine 5-5, while Valeria Kumizaki of Brazil beat world champion Dorota Barnaszczyk of Poland 2-0.

The final category of the day was the male Kumite -75kg category with fan favourite Luigi Busa battling his way to the final by beating Erman Eltemur of Turkey 1-0 while Dastonbek Otabolaev of Uzbekistan defeated Elhami Shabani of Kosovo 4-0.