Australia competed at the Karate World Cup, the biggest Karate event of the year in the Male Team Kumite category. Leading the team was Mitchell Durham, Australian Karate star and top representative of Karate’s progress in the country.  

“The future of Karate in Australia is extremely bright. We have set a very good foundation for the future of the sport, and we just need to make sure that we are coming together and playing to our strengths. With all that, hopefully, the success will come in the future,” shared Durham.  

Karate is rapidly gaining traction in Australia, emerging as one of the country’s fastest-growing sports. The Karate World Cup is broadcast on Fox Australia and the progress of the sport in the country is showcased as Team Australia is the only representative of Oceania at the event

“It’s a huge honour to represent the Oceania region at the Karate World Cup,” said Durham. Only the best teams in the world qualify for the World Team Championships in Pamplona.  

“In Australia, we indeed have a lot of sports that come ahead of karate but I think the popularity of karate in Australia is growing, with more social media presence and energy around senior athletes that they are giving back to the juniors,” said Durham.

Ranked 20th in the WKF world rankings, Mitchell Durham is a two-time continental champion and the current OKF Championships runner-up, The Australian star is one of Australia’s most accomplished karate athletes and the first Australian to medal as a senior individual at Karate 1 level since 2015 after claiming a bronze medals at the 2023 Karate 1-Premier League in Rabat and the 2022 Karate 1-Series A in Kocaeli.

Despite their optimism, Team Australia faced tough competition in Pamplona. Drawn into Pool A, they finished last after losses to front-running teams Croatia, North Macedonia, Iran, and Italy. While the results didn’t go their way, the team remains committed to improving and inspiring a new generation of karateka back home.

“My dream is to be a World champion. Individually and as a team I want to be a world champion but I also want to have an impact on the future of our sport in Australia,” Durham said.