Closing in to The 7th World Karate Championships in weight categories we like to take a look at the fighters, the draw and the expectations that raises for every day. When you have a World Championship whit criteria that one have to qualify to enter – the level will of course be sharpened. Women -50 kg category Lightweight.
We will start to look into women divisions and the lightest weight-category. It is important to point out that when we suggest and believe a match outcome – that’s exactly what we do – we don’t write anyone off, we speculate and do some measuring related to what we know about the different fighters.
－50㎏ WOMEN LIGHTWEIGHT
The lightest category in the women’s division have a mix of heavy merited fighter and up and coming fighters ready to leave their mark. It is also some minor comebacks worth to mention. The category holds 15 fighters from all over the world, but the main picture if we could put it that way would be Europe and Japan. Europe with eight fighters and Japan with four. One of the four fighters from Japan is the reign World Champion from last World championship, the 6th held in 2017, Kazakhstan.
Number one seeded EC Champion Alona Veresniak / Ukraine can be one that brings the test to Miki Shoguchi. That only if Miki Shoguchi manage to win against IFK Hayley-Beth Rowland. Rowland has been active all the time, with that brings in an advantage in her favor, and recently took the 3rd place in 6th IFK World Championship, adding another medal to her collection.
The question is what Shoguchi can deliver this time, after a less active period. Miki Shoguchi became the World champion, and that is her biggest achievement. Being into top four in The All japan Open also, but became less active, or visible after 2018 and the top four results in the 1st WFKO championship. Did participate in the 53rd All japan Open but went out in the second round. A fighter of this capacity will have something to bring into the tournament, the question will be how much at this time. Veresniak on her side have to be the one pointed out as the favorite in her first fight vs Manzurakhon Mansurova / Uzbekistan. But facing the winner of Rowland / Shoguchi in fight two – that will bring the level up. Veresniak, Rowland and Shoguchi all three top fighters, but preparations, “in the flow” and “ring-rust” will be possible factors.
Host country Poland have their team ready. In this category will Monika Podora represent her home country. She will face the representative for South Africa Paballo Kobe. We really do not know much about fighters from South Africa – so we will wait and see. We feel that the home fighter have the upper hand. If Podora make it to the next round, she will face Rafaela Evangelia Tsakir / Greece.
Tsakir made it to the podium this EC, not everybody did expect that– even so that she held a 2nd place form the KWU EC in 2018. On her way to the podium she overcome Maria Adria / Spain, 3rd place holder from EC 2019/21 (also qualified to this tournament) and Viktorija Dambrauskaitė /Lithuania before Natalia Chrzanowska / Poland stopped her in the semi-final.
Karin Kojima / Japan will be the opponent of Tsakir. Kojima are a tough fighter, participates in the Open Weight categories despite she weighs -50 kg. Have not been victorious like Teshima and others, but being picket out for the World Championship trough the Japanese national team – “we rest out case” This fight will be an interesting (high pace) fight to watch.
Reign European champion Brigita Svinkunaite / Lithuania, will challenge Misaki Utsunomiya / Japan, in a fight where height, weight and age are similar, when it comes to the record of fighting one have to say that they are quite similar there as well. Nevertheless, as mention, we think that Svinkunaite might pull it off and will face the winner of Anna Tarnavskaya / Kazakhstan vs Natalia Chrzanowska / Poland.
Anna Tarnavskaya / Kazakhstan vs Natalia Chrzanowska / Poland. None of these two fighters is heavily merited, young promised fighters on their way up. Do not get us wrong, of course a certain level they poses – being qualified to this tournament. However, compare to Veresniak, Shoguchi and Rowland and their record, we can see a difference.
Misaki Teshima / Japan – one of the top favorites will for sure be one to count in. Starting with a walk over in the first round, and from there she will face the winner of Anastasiia Pryshliak /Ukraine vs Maria Adria / Spain. Pryshliak qualifying by winning the European Karate Cup. Pryshliak aiming her punches well, and threatening the liver-side with timing and dedication. Maria Adria with two 3rd places in the EC WKO, got a strong drive and will push forward – but will that be enough?
The fight between Adria vs Pryshliak will be a hard one, and the one who manage to go through will have a bigger challenge in the next fight vs Misaki Teshima. Teshima being a national team member of Japan for some time, and got high results in strong tournaments as All Japan Open and JFKO All japan Open – not only that, she have been awarded “Best technique award” more than one time. We think Teshima can reach the podium – comparing to earlier results.
Comparing to last time in 2017, there has been quite many changes in the line up. Of course when there is a qualifying one have to make – that can be a factor. And thinking of that many have been trough a complete lock-down during the Covid pandemic – that could also be a factor. Anyway everyone hungers to see a championship with this quality!