Topsportcentrum Almere will host over 600 competitors from 51 countries at the Lotto Dutch Open, with competition due to take place tomorrow and Sunday (February 15). 

The most contested categories at the Open will be the Kata individual male event with 84 athletes from 26 nations competing for the title, while 76 fighters from 36 countries will take part in the kumite male under 67 kilogram category. 

Many of the karatekas will be taking part in the competition in the build up to the 50th European Senior Karate Championships, due to take place from March 19 to 22 in Istanbul.

The European Senior Karate Championships will act as a qualifying tournament for the first ever European Games in Baku in June.

Shahin Atamov and four-time world champion Rafael Aghayev will be among the most prominent home nation athletes during the European Games and the Azerbaijani athletes will be in action at the Lotto Dutch Open.

Among the elite Karatekas taking part this weekend will be Jelena Kovacevic of Croatia, Sandy Scordo and Alexandra Recchia of France, Ilja Smorguner of Germany and Geoffrey Berens, who is sure to be a favourite in front of a home crowd in The Netherlands.

The Open follows the traditional season opener in Paris, which saw the home favourites and Egypt come to the fore throughout the competition organised by the World Karate Federation (WKF) and will hope to continue their form in the Dutch venue.

Rafael Aghayev (right) will be competing this weekend ©AFP/Getty Images



Following the Lotto Dutch Open, the Karate 1 Premier League Series heads to Africa for the first time with Egypt due to host a leg from February 28 to March 1.

The prestigious karate series will then see 2016 Olympic Games hosts Brazil stage their inaugural Premier League event from May 30 to 31 in São Paulo.

Istanbul, Germany and Austria will also host events in 2015 before the eight event series is scheduled to climax in Okinawa, Japan, from November 28 to 29.

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