TEHRAN – Iranian athletes claimed six medals at the Karate 1-Premier League event in Dubai, the UAE.

Zabihollah Poorshab won Iran’s only gold medal after beating Kazakhstan’s Daniyar Yuldashev 8-5 in the men’s under-84kg division. 

Poorshab had previously defeated his countryman Mahdi Khodabkhshi in the all-Iranian semi-final 3-2. Khodabakhshi also claimed a bronze, beating Kazakhstan’s Igor Chikhmarev 1-0.

Shima Alesaadi earned a silver medal, losing to world number one Xiaoyan Yin from China 3-1 the women’s under-61kg kumite final.

Earlier on the day, Bahman Askari, Sara Bahmanyar and Rozita Alipour had also won three bronze medals.

Askari defeated Turkey’s Erman Eltemur 2-0 in the men’s under-75kg bronze medal match.

Bahmanyar came third by defeating Aicha Sayah from Morocco 3-2 in the women’s under-50kg and Alipour finished in third place after a 3-1 win over her Russian rival Nailya Gataullina in the women’s under-61kg.

The competition brought nearly 600 fighters from 85 countries together.

Karate will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo.

Spain won the competition winning two gold medals, three silvers and one bronze.

Italy came second with two golds, one silver and one bronze.

Turkey claimed two gold and four bronze medals to sit at third place and China finished in fourth place with two golds.

Iran won one gold, one silver ad four bronze medals to finish in fifth place.