Rome wasn’t built in a day.
And Singapore karateka Shannon Leong knows that adage all too well after making her long-awaited World Karate Federation Karate One Premier League debut in the Italian capital on Friday (Mar 13) after 20 years of training and four on the competitive circuit.
The 26-year-old kata athlete’s participation in the WKF’s top-tier competition, where 32 of the world’s best compete in each category, also marked the first appearance by a Singaporean since the league’s inaugural edition in 2011.
The world No.52, who also made headlines for her last 16 run at the 2025 Karate World Championships in Cairo, Egypt, last November, notched another milestone in her burgeoning career with her latest participation.
Leong’s stint in the second-tier Karate1 Series A circuit since 2022, along with her performances at the world championships, yielded crucial ranking points, paving her way to the prestigious Premier League.
“It is definitely surreal to be here, but I am very glad to be able to try and prove myself on a bigger stage like this one. It means so much to be able to compete with some of the best in the world and to see how I fare amongst them,” she said after the competition.
“I’m so proud to be able to do this for the country, to bring Singapore to the world stage of karate.”
Leong registered one win and two losses during the round-robin group stage – beating Greek exponent Zervou Eleni (world No.43) 4-3 and falling to 13th-ranked Belgian Manca Chiara 6-1 and sixth-ranked Spaniard Garcia Lozano Paola 7-0.
With only the eight group winners from a 32-athlete field progressing to the knockout rounds, the margins were always razor-thin for Leong.
“I try to keep my thoughts consistent throughout my matches, to trust my training and preparation, stay relaxed, and believe,” she said. “When my opponent performs her kata before me, I avoid watching too closely and focus on myself in the moment.
“Every move we make in kata counts. It can get overwhelming having to think about every step and worrying about making a mistake. But going into this competition, I told myself to enjoy the experience, especially since it was my first Premier League, and to trust the work I had put in.”
Her first taste of the premier competition has only whetted her appetite for more.
“In the Premier League, everyone is of the highest level. The world’s best are congregated in one place, and the energy is electric from the get-go. Everyone has truly amazing technique and speed, and you can feel it in the air the moment you step into the warm-up area because everyone is so professional there,” she said.
“There are so many lessons to take away already, and I cannot wait to go back to work on my technique.”
A second Premier League appearance awaits Leong, with her participation in the April 10 to 12 Leshan stop confirmed, before she returns to the Series A circuit for the April 24 to 26 Coruna leg.
“I am hoping to refine my technique further, work on my speed, and improve my flow in the forms I practise. Rabat is looking more and more likely, so fingers crossed that I will get in as well,” Leong added, as she hopes to participate in the final of four Premier League stops set for June 12 to 14 in the Moroccan capital.
But the pinnacle of Leong’s 2026 season remains the opportunity to fly the flag at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September, having missed out on last December’s SEA Games due to the absence of the kata category.
She also hopes her performances on the international stage will inspire more karatekas back home to chase their own breakthroughs.
“There are so many people with potential for breakthroughs, and Singaporean athletes have shown they can constantly beat the odds. Just keep going and keep believing.”
