IFK Kyokushin European Open Championship 2018
among children, girls, youths and juniors, men and women in weight categories will be held on 7-8 April, Yerevan, Armenia, at “MIKA” sports complex. Organizers are Ministry of sport and youth affairs of the Republic of Armenia and Armenian Kyokushin karate federation
Here are a brief overview Men and Women divisions:
19 participtants make up the mens heavyweight in a field with the strongest depth.
Armenia have the World Kumite Openweight runner up Hovhannes Sargsyan who also excited all in the IFK World Championships last year and being a home favourite should spur him on. We also have the IFK World runner up in Jonas Rosin from Sweden wanting to take a major gold in the IFK. Dmitry Sikorsky of Belarus always performs well in IFK championships and Iran have a number of extremely tough fighters.
Russia IFK have new faces in the European level however these are both well known to our organisation and Andrey Borisov and Artem Lyalikov will be tough to beat. We predict Kantemir Beslaneev of KI should push them all the way.
Look at the favourite fighters of womens -60kg division… The category has a good field of 23 participants.
Championships of this quality can always throw up some surprises but we expect a strong showing from the current European Champion Emma Markwell of GB following her recent triumph in the Diamond Cup and it looks like the biggest challenges will come from different organisations with former KWU World Champion Guzal Fattahova KWF, Ekaterina Arapova KI who took 3rd place in the IFK World Championships last year and WKO multiple prize winner Irina Valieva all looking strong possibilities for the top spot. It will also be interesting to see how GB new girl Hayley Rowlands does after two strong 3rd place showings in the Cup of Europe and the Diamond Cup.
The womens +60kg will feature 17 participants
The IFK will have the new Russian champion Valeriia Kolesnikova and last European runner up Aneta Meskauskiene Ireland both hoping for the title.
WKO will be represented with strong fighters Anna Vishniakova and Antonia Ismailova and well as the 3rd place prize winner of the World Cup Kazakhstan’s Ioanna Belykh. Also look out for KI fighter Anna Ulybina with her fast roll kick.
It will also be a first showing of Iranian women fighters at an IFK international event
