The IFK 5th World Championship are history, the medals and trophies are handed out, many memorable moments, hard fights and impressions. Romania was a good host, attracting more athletes than at the last occasion in 2013, when the tournament was held in the UK. Romania also helped lift the number of athletes significantly, along with countries like Ukraine and Hungary, etc. Russia was as expected dominant,although a few of the fight/ final gave a bad taste and became anti-climax.
Changing the heaviest category from over 80 kg, to two categories: -90 and +90 kg was of the new things, also adding under 21 was also a good tool to fill up the tournament with more fighters. The promoting job of the tournament was good, information and updates could easily be found. Streaming of tournament are in our time “a must.” In this case the job was done properly, three streams – on to each fight area.
A World Tournament sets several expectations on the agenda, of course. The world tittle should be just what it is! The composition of the tournaments in this World Championship has changed since last time, and this marked the tournament. Russia is mentioned, but also countries in Eastern Europe and some of the countries of central Europe. (Eastwards) This results in one thing among others, the level raises. These nations have many and good fighters, and if number one can`t come, they have the capacity to send another one – at the same level.
However, the championship lacks more nations as you usually see in the top when you think of the absolute elite. But this also goes on the countries and regions that are part of the organization IFK. From Europe and going East, you would think about Lithuania, further we have Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan with more, before we quickly end up in Japan. Some of these countries had fighters in the tournament (Kazakhstan and Japan) but few i numbers and not the absolute elite. All this takes into consideration that you look across organizations.
Results are well known, and as a summary the 5th World Championship turns to the same pattern we have regarding to the results all over, the Vest Europe are being phased out of the results list more and more. This includes that Honbu IFK, BKK UK, for the first time since the 1st World Championship in 1997 are out of the podium, as it was the case in British Open 2016 – in the man division, where it was the first time in 40 years.
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Men over 90 kg Super Heavyweight
In the heaviest category, Vitalii Ishakhneli / Russia was a worthy winner. Solid performance from start to the final. He also received the award for best technique. Very strong and a good all rounder with devastating low-kicks. Very active fighter, lost to Lithuanian Radevilla in the British Open 2016, he is the reign KWU EC Champion 2016, and was the runner up recently in the KWF GP 2017, where he lost to Syota Yamaguchi / Japan. In the final Vasily Samadurov / Russia tried to fight back, but could not stand the pressure, and had to give up after his legs was destroyed. Samadurov, being the reign KWU World Champion, and many believed he could make it even harder for Ishakhneli. On his way to the final Ishakhneli fought two more Russian fighters, Dmitrii Solovyev in the semi, and Yuriy Kirakosyan in the quarter final. Kirakosyan was brutally knocked out after short time. In this category, the six places from the top was taken by Russian fighters!
Men under 90 kg Heavyweight
A tough category with several good fighters, and here it was also a good mix from different countries. The winner became Igor Ryadnov / Russia. Ryadnov, reign KWU World Championship 2015. With walk over i the two first fights, Ryadnov met Jean Paul Jacquot from France. After working punches and strong low-kicks in through the extension round, Ryadnov was pointed out as the winner. In the semi final Russian Kantemir Beslaneev waited. He came from a good fight and win over only Japanese fighter (adults cat.) Jo Miyahara. Kantemir Beslaneev vs Igor Riadnov lasted for one extension, with Riadnov pushing the phase, taking the victory. In the final Swedish Jonas Rosin was ready. He had several hard fights against fighters as Marek Wolny / Poland, Stanislav Stepankov / Russia and a very good Emmanuel Lebo / Austria. Rosin showing more strength than his opponents. The final Rosin vs Ryadnov was a very even final, even in level and also in the way of fighting. Ryadnov taking the victory be judges, Rosin takes a strong 2nd place.
Men under 80 kg Middleweight
In this category, the “no show” was a topic that must be mention. Non of the first round fights was held, seven fights was canceled in a row as an result of “no show” where one or sometimes both fighters did not show. This made an impact in the category, not only that the category was reduced with about ten fighters, but also some of the fighters that had walk-over in the first round also was in the same position in the second round.
Fighters want to fight, and in a tournament mostly want to get started. This is why the Cup system could sometimes seem unfair. Day one for some was one fight, others had three. Well “Cup is cup”.. For many this category had little less excitement than the rest. Super favorite Artem Nazaretian / Russia was aimed to take the title – as he did, three fights in the total time of nine minutes. Second place to Artem Solovev / Russia. He beat 3rd place holder from the 4th World Championship, Sergej Braun /Germany, British Open winner Dawid Ozga UK and Mohammad Asadi amin / Iran, before the final. Nazaretian was never threatened in the final or any of the other matches.
Men under 70 kg Lightweight
A good mix of well merited fighters, but Russia with the biggest favorites – as before. The biggest question was who the top 4 would be. Artur Arushanyan, Ivan Komanov, Daniel Redondo and Seyed Yousef Hosseini – all fighters we could count in later on in the tournament. Ivan Komanov / Bulgaria stopped Artur Arushanyan / Armenia – that got him to the semi-final against Marsel Mansurov /Russia .But before two minutes the Spanish fighter was knocked out with a good timed back-kick from the Russian fighter. The other semi-final was also being won be Russian fighter, Sergey Chmunevich, against Ivan Komanov / Bulgaria. Chmunevich as the stronger fighter, absorbing all but kept the pressure on.
The final was an anticlimax happening, when fighters did not want fight each other. This setting was not only being seen in this fight, and the referees was crystal clear on this: “hey, this is the World Championship final!” We have seen this in the British Open also, and the results of that is that people leave the arena before the finals. This will not stop before one goes to the point and disqualifies fighters. We could say a lot about this, but we feel that the referee said it all “hey, this is the World Championship final!”
Women under 60 kg Lightweight
Fighters from Russia, took all the top spots in a category where several nations had very good fighters in the line up. Ukraine, Romanian, UK and Poland had all strong fighters. Worth mention that one of the top name Marta Lubos was out, due to sickness. In to the top 4, only home fighter Madena Bozainu / Romania was in besides the Russian dominance. Bozainu had on her way notable wins over Anna Izdebska / Ukraine, Irina Valieva / Russia and Emma Markwell UK. In the semi Madena Bozainu lost to Rimma Artemova /Russia, who on her side had a stronger pressure.
Artemova had also fought and won against Eszter Kovács / Hungary, Winek Agnieszka / Poland and Gasdeliani Teona / Spain. But in the final Rimma Artemova met Anna Efremova / Russia, who was the biggest favorite to take the title – witch she did. And that in a very convincing way. In this final it was no holding back as it had been in some of the men`s finals, and Anna Efremova run over her opponent earning waza-aria as well.
Women over 60 kg heavyweight
This was in matter of fact the only category that Russia did not win – although the biggest favorites and the most merited fighters came out from Russia. But they should all fail to reach the top this time. Anzhelika Sabaeva / Russia – the two times World Champion ended third, being dominated by Russian fighter Olga Ivanova – who on her side impressed many going a hard way to the final facing Anna Ulybina / Russia, knocking out Aneta Meskauskine / Ireland, before dominating Anzhelika Sabaeva in the semi-final.
On the other side Polish fighter Agata Winiarska fought her way to the final. Winiarska coming out from a disappointing Shin EC in April, and fail to qualify to the World Championship in Kazakhstan later this year – and that was surprising. But this time Winiarska made a strong impression making her way to the final. First Maria Papadopoulou / Greece, before she once again won against the World Champion from 2009 – Maryia Panova / Russia, Alexandra Pecinka / Austria before it was time for the final.
Agata Winiarska vs Olga Ivanova was a very good final, maybe the best. The fighters moved well, and was searching for the best way to take on their opponent. Many of the fights did not have this, and was “locked” on the same distance all the time – short distance, absorbing all the hits and counter. In this final we got to see the variation of the distances, and how the techniques had to be right at the right range. The final was very even and very hard. Going in to extra rounds, Ivanova was leading with two flags! Winiarska going in further with all there is, manage to turn the tables – and gets the decision – and the spirit award!
The 5th IFK World Championship are as said history, and many great moments are to remember. The Russian dominance will continue in this setting, if not top fighters from Lithuania, Japan, Kazakhstan enters – as the British Open. The level of the Russian fighters are very high, but if the excitements of the tournaments shall stay alive, one need to have “more horses to bet on” Another thing regarding to this tournament is that it is to much alike the KWU Championships. More or less the KWU EC and the IFK WT would have very much similarity, regarding to the fighters and nations attending. Kyokushin-kan sopped their WT, and focused on the KWU. A parallel could be WKO All Japan Open weight categories also stopped when the JFKO All Japan Open was added. If there is a World Tournament “every week” with more or less the same settings, the changes would be non or less. With that in mind we know that to keep the interest and the motivation, we need from time to time some changes.
We can look back at The 5th IFK World Championship With pleasure. Arrangement was very good, promotion as well. In other words, it was in line with expectations. Next to participants here becomes the most likely KWU World Cup in December. (Now moved from Japan to Russia) Can we hope for an Word Championship where actually “The World ” attends? We will wait and see!