Nine of the 12 Japanese athletes qualified for the medal bouts in the categories of choreographed movements in the Polideportivo Multiusos Sports Hall as the scheduled three day competition involving more than 1,000 competitors from 82 countries got underway.

The female kata competition will see an all-Japan final with Hikaru Ono meeting world champion Kiyou Shimizu for gold.

Kiyou confirmed her status as favourite by winning all six of her bouts by unanimous decision 5-0.

Her team-mate, who won gold at the Karate 1-Premier League in Paris last month, reached the final by defeating local heroine Sandra Sanchez by split decision 3-2.

But the home supporters will have someone to cheer in the male Kata final as Spain’s world ranking leader Damian Quintero won all six of his bouts, the last one with a victory by unanimous decision 5-0 over Japan’s Chikashi Hayashida.

He now meets Japan’s Kazumasa Moto, who earned his first final in international competition with a shock defeat of the favourite, Issei Shimbaba, 3-2.

“It was a quite tiring day for me,” said Quintero, the Karate 1-Premier League Grand Winner and European champion.

“There were a lot of bouts and with so many competitors it was hard to make it through the rounds, but luckily for me, I could reach the final.

“Let’s see what happens on Sunday, and then we will start thinking about the Karate 1-Premier League in Dubai.

"Competing at home can be a double-edged weapon sometimes, but I hope that the sports hall will be full.

"Of course, I hope it will be full of fans supporting Spain."