Qatar’s Mona Saud in action during the first round of the Women’s Individual Kata yesterday. Picture: @qatar_olympic / Twitter
Two Qatari Karatekas were in action at Katara Beach yesterday when history was made during the ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019.
That was when the karatekas took to the sand for the first time in the history of the sport in a major tournament. It was an adjustment for the world-class field to transition from tatami to the soft, shifting surface of the beach.
Qatar’s Adham Abdelnaser competed in Group C in men’s kata yesterday and claimed 22.74 points.
The second Qatari karateka, Mona Saud who competed in the women’s division in Group D, collected 20.74 points.
On the women’s side, as expected, world No 1 Sandra Sanchez (ESP) demonstrated why she is a class above the rest, posting a score of 26.48, higher than her nearest competitor by over half a point, despite being the final female karateka to compete. Mo Lau (HKG) and the United States’ Sakura Kokumai, both in the World Karate Federation top 10, also advanced with strong showings, and will square off with Sanchez in Group B today.
In the men’s competition, world No 2 Damian Quintero’s (ESP) 25.94 put him tops among the field, but he will face a tough draw in Round 2 today, with current world No 3 Ali Sofuoglu (TUR), Ariel Torres (USA) and former world champion Venezuelan Antonio Diaz, all advancing to what should be a highly-competitive second-round group.
