Algerian Radio
Algerian karateka Cylia Ouikene secured the silver medal this Sunday in the -50kg kumite category after a narrow defeat against Venezuela’s Yorgelis Salazar in the final of the international "Karate 1 Premier League" in Leshan, China.
The final bout was a high-stakes, intense encounter that ended in a 6-6 draw. Ultimately, the victory was awarded to the Venezuelan athlete due to the Senshu rule, which grants the win to the competitor who scores the first point of the match.
Cylia Ouikene delivered an exceptional performance throughout the tournament. She reached the final after a series of decisive victories, starting with Russia's Valeriya Sergeeva (3-0), followed by a dominant win over Taiwan's Hsiao Yun-chen with a sweeping 10-0 score to secure her place in the quarter-finals. In the quarter-final stage, she demonstrated great tactical prowess to overcome Germany's Shara Hubrich in a balanced 2-1 match.
In the semi-final, the Algerian champion confirmed her top-tier form by convincingly defeating Croatia's Ema Sgardelli (5-1), a two-time European champion, showcasing a world-class level of skill.
This achievement follows Cylia Ouikene's previous silver medal at the Premier League in Rome, once again highlighting her consistency among the world's elite and her ambition to remain at the top of the rankings.
The China leg marks the third major event of the 2026 Karate 1 Premier League season, which gathers the finest karate practitioners globally. This result further solidifies Cylia Ouikene’s position as a global reference in the sport and raises the Algerian flag high on the international stage.
