ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE YOUTH OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT IN UMAG
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE YOUTH OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT IN UMAG
Karate’s first-ever Olympic qualification tournament is taking place in Umag (Croatia) from June 29 to 30. The historic event will determine the athletes who will qualify to participate in the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018. It will be a memorable competition that is taking the world of Karate by a storm, and here we give you an outline of all you need to know about the tournament.
WHAT? The Youth Olympic Qualification tournament is the last opportunity for athletes to qualify for Buenos Aires 2018. It is the first time that Karate celebrates an Olympic qualification tournament as the sport is making its debut in the programme of the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.
WHERE? The event is being held at the Maria & Lino Sports hall in Umag (Croatia). The city located in the Istria region has a strong tradition of welcoming major underage Karate event since it hosts the most popular youth Karate event in the world, the WKF Youth Camp & Cup.
WHERE TO WATCH? The semi-finals and finals of the event will be streamed LIVE and FREE on WKF online platform: karateworld.tv
WHEN? The competition will be held over two days: Friday, June 29 and Saturday, June 30, 2018.
WHO? The tournament is limited to junior categories, thus respecting the specific age restriction of the Qualification System for Buenos Aires 2018. Only athletes born between 01-01-2001 and 29-06-2002 are eligible to participate in the event. No less than 324 young karatekas have registered to take part in the competition.
HOW? Only four athletes per category will win the qualification for Buenos Aires 2018 this weekend. The Karate categories for the Youth Olympic Games are Male Kumite -61kg, Male Kumite -68kg, Male Kumite +68kg, Female Kumite -53kg, Female Kumite -59kg and Female Kumite +59kg.
COMPETITION SYSTEM. The athletes will compete in their categories during the first day, following the traditional elimination system. The top two karatekas in each category at the end of the first day will win the qualification for Buenos Aires 2018.
The rest of the competitors not yet qualified will compete again on the second day. The top two karatekas in each category at the end of the second day will also win the qualification to Buenos Aires 2018.
COMPETITION PROGRAMME. The tournament starts at 9.00 (UTC – 2) on Friday with the elimination rounds in all six categories. The elimination rounds are expected to run until 16.30. The semi-finals in all six categories are scheduled to start on Friday at 18:00. The finals will start at 19.00. The Medal awards ceremony of the first day will take place at 19.30.
On Saturday, the competition begins at 10.00, with the elimination rounds going until 17.30. The semi-finals in all six categories are scheduled to start on Friday at 18:00. The finals will start at 19.00. The Medal awards ceremony of the second day will take place at 19.30.
QUALIFIED ATHLETES. No less than 12 athletes have already qualified for Buenos Aires 2018 by standing. The two top-ranked athletes in the Olympic standings earned the ticket to the Youth Olympic Games. The qualified athletes by standing are:
Female Kumite -53kg: Damla Ocak (TUR) and Rinka Tahata (JPN)
Female Kumite -59kg: Charlotte Hope (GBR) and Kokoro Sakaji (JPN)
Female Kumite +59kg: Kyriaky Kydonaki (GRE) and Laura Lyck (DEN)
Male Kumite -61kg: Masaki Yamaoka (JPN) and Fahik Veseli (MKD)
Male Kumite -68kg: Rosario Rugiero (ITA) and Abilmansur Batyrgali (KAZ)
Male Kumite +68kg: Enes Bulut (TUR) and Tomas Kosa (SVK)
UNIVERSALITY. Nearly 90 countries will have representation in Umag thus showcasing the universality of the sport. Karatekas from no less than 84 nations and five continents will clash for the Olympic qualification this weekend.
The Youth Olympic Games Qualification tournament in Umag will be streamed LIVE and FREE on karateworld.tv.