Iran win overall team championship

Sharjah - Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, debutants Oman, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and the UAE were engaged in high pitch combats in three sessions.

Iranian men won the overall team championship with a rich haul of seven gold, two silver and one bronze at the fourth men's and second women's West Asian Karate Championship at the Sharjah Ladies Club, on Tuesday night.
Jordan were placed second after claiming 12 medals which included three gold, six silver and three bronze, followed by hosts UAE in third spot. The home team had a tally of 12 medals comprising three gold, five silver and four bronze medals in the two-day kata and kumite championships where over 100 karatekas took part.
Saudi Arabia came fourth with six medals: three gold, one silver and two bronze, followed by Qatar in fifth place with a silver and a bronze. Sixth place went to Lebanon with six bronze medals, followed by Iraq in seventh with five and finally Oman who had two bronzes in their luggage.
Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, debutants Oman, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and the UAE were engaged in high pitch combats in three sessions each day from Monday to Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia's men's team upset the form book and the tournament seedings when they took the blue riband Open team kata title late in the night on the final day, surpassing the strongly favoured Jordan, the UAE and Iran.
Iranian women finished an impressive first in the team standings claiming five gold medals, followed closely by the UAE in second place with five medals (one gold, two silver and two bronze). Iraq got into third spot after claiming five bronze medals, as Lebanon berthed into the fourth position with a bronze.
The UAE National Karate team continued with their good work late on Day 2, after a brilliant start on the opening day when they shot into the overall standings of both the women's and men's competitions with a gold medal each.
The men's team raised the UAE's tally in the kata for a lower weight category to stun the Iraqis and Saudis. Saudi Arabia were dominant in the under 75kg and under 84kg men's categories, where Badr Al Otaibi impressed in the under 75kg section with a well thought out bout against Jordan's Hatem Dweik. Bronze here went to Oman's gutsy Ahmed Mousa and Iran's Mayssam Bukani.
In under 84kg mat action, Bahman Ousari from Iran won top of the podium honours, followed by Mahmoud Al Sajjan from Jordan. Losing semifinalists Ibrahim Nantoumi from Saudi Arabia and Oman's Ryad Salem finished joint third.
In the women's bouts, the UAE got a silver when Randa Imam went down fighting to Iran's strongly built Hameeda Abbasi in the 68kg championship. In 68kg combat, Iranian Nafeesa Karan jammed Huda Jabr from Jordan into the silver berth. Bronze went to promising Iraqi karateka Wafa Salah.
In the men's single kata for above 84kg combatants, Jordanian Mo'tasem Kheir edged Iran's Sayed Mahdi in the final while Qatari Ibrahim Al Zobeidy won third place.
The event was held under the patronage of Shaikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Ladies Club. The championship was organised and hosted by the Sharjah Ladies Club (SLC)-Women Sports Department, in collaboration with the Taekwondo and Karate Federation and the General Authority of Sports and Youth Welfare, under the auspices of the West Asian Karate Federation (WAKF).
moni@khaleejtimes.com