Pappa's dream debut in Premier League

Friday welcomed the first day of the last Premier League tournament of the season, which is hosted in Rabat, Morocco. Six categories provided some surprises. 

2024 Grand Winner and world's number 2 Maho Ono (JPN) and the 2025 Asian champion and world's number 1 Mo Sheung Grace Lau (HKG) reached the Female Kata final in Rabat. This duo will meet for the fourth consecutive time in this years. Premier League tournament final as they faced each other earlier this year in Paris, Hangzhou and Cairo.

With gold medals from both Hangzhou and Cairo, Lau is the Premier League leader with 2730 points, while, with gold from Paris and two silver medals from Hangzhou and Cairo, Ono marks 2490 points for the second place in the current ranking.

18-year-old Christina Triada Pappa (GRE) surprised all competitors. In her first appearanceat the Premier League tournament, she secured the final of the Female Kumite -50kg and also her first Premier League medal. Her opponent will be the very experienced Erminia Perfetto (ITA), the current world and European silver medallist.

Even though the 2024 Grand Winner Moldir Zhangbyrbay (KAZ) did not advance from the Round Robin in Rabat, she secured the Grand Winner trophy for the second year in a row. She started the 2025 season with a bronze medal from Paris, advanced to silver in Hangzhou and won gold in Cairo.

2024 Grand Winner Valentina Toro Meneses (CHI) and Tsui-Ping Ku (TPE) reached the final of the Female Kumite -55kg. Even though Toro did not win any medals in the first three Premier League events of 2025, she is now looking for her third Premier League gold medal. Ku defeated Japan's Ruan Mukai 3-0 to secure her first-ever Premier League final and fourth medal, as she already has three bronzes in her collection.

The Premier League standings of this category is led by Bulgarian Ivet Goranova with 1830 points, while Japanese Rina Kodo holds second place with 1710 points.

The current world Male Kumite -60kg champion Christos-Stefanos Xenos (GRE) and Tostne Sordia (GEO) secured their spots in Rabat's final on Sunday. At just 21, Sordia secured his first Premier League medal, while with two Premier League silver medals in 2025, Xenos is third in the 2025 overall ranking with 1650 points and he will be looking for the Grand Winner title. Eray Samdan (TUR) leads the ranking with 2130 points while Hiromu Hashimoto is second with 2010 points.

The newly crowned Asian champion and 2025 Premier League Paris gold medallist Yugo Kozaki (JPN) will challenge Afeef Ghaith (JOR) for the Male Kumite -67kg gold medal in Rabat.

As Kozaki is looking for his third Premier League gold medal, he is hoping to win the 2025 Grand Winner title as well. With 1590 points, he is currently second in the overall ranking, being higher ranked than him only the 2024 Grand Winner, Said Oubaya (MAR), with 2130 points.

The 2024 and 2022 Grand Winner Abdalla Abdelaziz (EGY) will fight against the 2023 Grand Winner Quentin Mahauden (BEL) for the Male Kumite -75kg title in Rabat. With Paris and Hangzhou gold medals and Cairo bronze medal, Abdelaziz has already secured his third Grand Winner title.

The second day of the Premier League Rabat 2025 will welcome athletes competing in Male Kata, Female Kumite -61, -68 and +68kg and Male Kumite -84 and +84kg. Bronze medal matches and finals are scheduled for Sunday, 1 June 2025.