AbdulRahman Al Masatfa books Olympic Karate spot

AMMAN — AbdulRahman Al Masatfa has made history by becoming the first Jordanian Karate fighter to qualify for an Olympic Games, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service. 

Masatfa is the ninth athlete to qualify for Team Jordan after his superb performance in the -67kg category at the Karate Olympic Qualification Tournament being held in Paris, France, which attracted 500 fighters from 98 countries. Masatfa had to win an incredible seven fights from 10 bouts, including two draws, in one day to book his place for this summer’s Tokyo Games, where Karate is included for the first time.

Along the way, Masatfa beat 2019 World Champion, Evgeny Plakhutin (Russia); European bonze medallist, Christos Stefanos (Greece) and two-time World Champion, Amir Mehdizadeh (Iran), with his only defeat coming in the quarter-final of the main draw.

Masatfa dropped into the repechage competition after that defeat where he was unbeaten to book his Team Jordan place alongside boxers, Hussein Ishaish, Ziad Ishaish, Obadah Al Kesba, Muhammad Al Wadi and Uday Al Hindawi; Taekwondo stars Juliana Al Sadiq and Saleh Al Sharbati, and equestrian rider, Ibrahim Basharat.