The first Para-Karate European Championships will take place next week in Novi Sad (Serbia). From May 10-13, the best European Para-Karate athletes will karatekas competing in the 53rd European Senior Championships in the first and inspiring edition of the continental Para-Karate tournament.   

The first Para-Karate European Championships will take place next week in Novi Sad (Serbia). From May 10-13, the best European Para-Karate athletes will karatekas competing in the 53rd European Senior Championships in the anticipated first edition of the continental Para-Karate tournament.   

No less than 44 Para-Karatekas from 14 nations have confirmed their participation at the event. This tally represents a particularly high number for a tournament to be held for the first time. The Para-Karate athletes will compete for the continental crown in exciting matches at the inaugural European Championship in the categories "Wheelchair", "Visually Impaired" and "Intellectually Impaired". Among the competitors who are registered to compete in Novi Sad, fans will find stars of Para-Karate, who have already been extraordinarily successful in previous WKF competitions. 

The reigning world champions in Visually Impaired and Intellectually Impaired, Helga Balkie and Albert Singer from Germany will clash to underline their respective leading roles in the world. Both Para-athletes have set the goal of crowning their careers with an additional European Championship title. 

TOP-LEVEL AND INSPIRING COMPETITION 

Successful Para-Karate athletes like Fatah Sebbak of France competing in Wheelchair category, Monika Preem of Estonia in Visually Impaired, Darlene Foster of Wales in Intellectually Impaired or Sven Baum of Germany participating in Wheelchair will try to live up to their favourite roles and hope to reach the medals of the tournament. All of them have already caused a sensation with their high positions at the past World Championships and are therefore among the top representatives of Para-Karate in the WKF.

Up-and-coming Karate nations such as Russia and Serbia are among the ries with the highest numbers of participants, along with Germany and Romania. Karate fans can look forward to high-level competition and inspiring moments of the best Para-Karate. 

For the EKF and the WKF this first Para-Karate European Championship is an important and groundbreaking event. In the run-up to the upcoming 2018 World Championships in Madrid, important experience is being gathered here which, following detailed analysis, should bring Para-Sport significantly forward in the WKF.

The 1st European Para-Karate Championships and the 53rd edition of the European Championships will be held in Novi Sad (Serbia) from May 10-13. The finals and bronze medal bouts will be streamed live and free on karateworld.tv.