Turkey wins 4 medals in Chile karate tournament

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

Turkey won three gold and one bronze medals on the last day of the world-class karate tournament in Chile's capital Santiago.

Turkish athletes claimed a total of 27 medals -- including 11 gold -- during the Karate 1-Series A season, the Turkish Karate Federation said on Sept. 23.

In the final event of the season, Turkish athletes Serap Özçelik Arapoğlu, Eray Şamdan and Uğur Aktaş bagged gold while Ali Sofuoğlu claimed bronze.

In the 50-kilogram women's kumite category, Arapoğlu defeated her Venezuelan opponent Yorgelis Salazar to win gold.

Şamdan competed in the men's 60-kg kumite category to claim gold after beating his Japanese opponent Sago Noto.

Aktaş won the +84kg men's kumite category defeating Iranian athlete Zabihollah Poorshab.

Some 804 athletes from 72 countries competed in the tournament. Turkey was represented by 12 men and seven women athletes.

Turkish athletes have won eight gold, six silver and nine bronze medals in the previous legs of the Karate 1-Series A in Salzburg, Istanbul and Montreal. With the end of this season, Turkey made it to the top three teams of the tournament with 27 medals (11 gold, six silver and 10 bronze) under its belt.