Iran enjoys six top-10 spots in latest WKF Rankings
Six Iranian karatekas ranked among the top 10 in their respective categories in the latest WKF World Rankings – released on Thursday – following an impressive run of results at last week’s World Championships in Cairo, Egypt.
Atousa Golshadnejad, who made history by claiming Iran’s first-ever women’s gold at the global showpiece, earned 4,995 points to overtake Kazakhstan’s Assel Kanay at the top of the female kumite -61kg rankings.
Saleh Abazari, a silver medalist in Cairo, climbed to third in the male kumite +84kg category with 3,810 points, while Egypt’s Taha Tarek Mahmoud and Italy’s Matteo Avanzini – who defeated the Iranian in the world final – remained first and second respectively.
In the women’s -50kg rankings, Iranian Sara Bahmanyar, who followed her Islamic Solidarity Games gold with a second world bronze in Cairo, stood second behind Kazakhstan’s Moldir Zhangbyrbay with 4,150 points.
Meanwhile, Fatemeh Sa’adati tallied 3,460 points to rise to fourth in the female -55kg rankings, thanks to her quarterfinal finish at the World Championships, while Ali Meskini placed fifth in the male kumite -60kg category after his last-eight run in Cairo.
Fatemeh Sadeqi – a gold medalist at the World Games and the Islamic Solidarity Games earlier this year – surged to sixth in the women’s kata rankings, despite a setback against Greece’s Georgia-Archontia Xenou in the opening round of the knockout phase at the World Championships.