In just one and a half week, the European Championship Shinkyokushin will be held in Poland! As mention before, adding new categories has not only increased the number of athletes in the tournament – but we are looking forward to some new match up between fighters that has been in separate categories previous years. Some of the strong profiles are retired, but we are also very happy to see the next generation really steps up! And of course some “immortal” are still going strong!
In the under 85 kg category, sparks will fly! First of all, the category have 28 fighters, and we do not only have multiply European Champions – but also World Champions!
Valeri Dimitrov, Bulgaria, Salahat Hasanov, Azerbaijan, Marek Wolny, Poland, Justinas Kvietka, Lithuania, Levan Verulidze, Georgia, Tamas Popovics, Hungary, Oleksandr Tymets, Ukraine – just to point out some of the fighters that we know – and that we are used to see advances in tournaments…
Valeri Dimitrov left the previous European Championship injured, but still reached a third place. Now in the under 85 kg category, the most merited fighter are back on track and will take on challenges from the rest of the category. His incredible ability to find your weak spot – in the right time, and picks his opponents apart. But for sure, all aims to beat the most decorate champion.
In the summer 2017, Salahat Hasanov ⇒ ,Azerbaijan made history. Winning the World Championship in weight categories did lift him further in his career. His is also ready for the upcoming The 1st International Full Contact Karate Championship in Japan. Been on the podium several times, but 2016 was his year regarding to top his category in the European Championship. With strong punches, good pressure and stamina to back it up he do have the capacity to go all the all into a final. And being the the World Champion in weight categories – nothing less are expected..!
Also in this category the host country Poland got three fighters. With ⇐ Marek Wolny and Marek Odzeniak as the most known, and with young fighter Jakub Tecza as the third. Wolny with several times on the podium from earlier, will be the number one favorite of the three home-fighters, but the “veteran” Odzeniak will most likely advance in the tournament as well.
Justinas Kvietka ⇓, Lithuanian fighter misses a EC medal in the Shinkyokushin, and this time it might could be the right time. His team mate Julius Urbonas comes out from the podium in the U-22 EC, but not so established as Kvietka.
This category do also have a very good spread of the nations, and among them there are several interesting countries and fighters to follow. Maybe not to count in the top spots, but everybody have something to bring to the table. In this category one do also have several set ups that we can see for the first time, regarding to the weight system, or new weight classes that are being used. That said many of the top fighters in this category have been fighting in Open Weight tournaments, as the European Championship in Open weight and others.
