The Croatian Karate Union celebrated the national Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships this past week thus showcasing the remarkable progress of the sport in the country.

The Croatian Karate Union celebrated the national Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships this past week thus showcasing the remarkable progress of the sport in the country. Barely two weeks after hosting the national senior championships, the Croatian national Karate organisation managed to complete the celebration of all its major events this year amid the current difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic.  

Over 300 young competitors from 70 clubs gathered in Rijeka (Croatia) to participate in the age-group national championships. The event was held following the WKF Covid-19 guidelines and the national coronavirus policies.

Considered a success by the organisers, the tournament gave young karatekas in the country the opportunity to compete at the highest level despite the current limitations.

Among the many requirements which were applied to guarantee the wellbeing of competitors and staff members, the use of face masks was mandatory, and temperature check-ups were compulsory throughout the two-day event. All the protections and competition materials were continuously disinfected while a cleaning protocol was implemented to ensure the sanitation of the tatamis.

The competition was held under closed doors and the number of participants at the venue was monitored to avoid mass gatherings at the sports hall. An innovative accreditation system was used to keep the number of participants at the venue to a minimum.

Related: Karate and the new normal: Successful age-group event in Croatia