The “Ready Steady Tokyo-Karate” Test Event was held today in the capital of Japan to showcase Karate’s readiness ahead of the debut of the sport in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The test event was conducted to streamline the Karate competition at the Games. 

The “Ready Steady Tokyo-Karate” Test Event was held today in the capital of Japan to showcase Karate’s readiness ahead of the debut of the sport in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The test event was conducted to streamline the Karate competition at the Games. 

Conducted by the World Karate Federation and the Japan Karatedo Federation together with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the “Ready Steady Tokyo-Karate” Test Event reviewed the flow of the competition and different operations around the Karate tournament at the Games. The test events are conceived as dress rehearsals to confirm and improve the competition and Games procedures in order to ensure a successful operation during the Olympic Games.

The Karate test event mirrored the second day of the Karate tournament at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 which is scheduled for August 7, 2020. It gave an overview of the Kata and Kumite competitions to be held at the Games in less than one year. Over 30 local athletes took part at the event, with 65 staff members and over 35 technical officials overviewing the competition. 

“Ready Steady Tokyo-Karate” was attended by the Deputy Executive Director of Tokyo 2020 Games Operations Bureau Yasuo Mori and by WKF General Secretary Toshihisa Nagura. 

“The typhoon (passing through Japan this weekend) is an issue which should be anticipated, it is not unexpected. Yesterday we could foresee all the effects that the Typhoon may have, especially regarding matter such as transportation, etc… ‘Ready Steady Tokyo-Karate’ gave us a chance to test the competition schedule for Karate at the Games,” said Yasuo Mori during the press conference after the test event.

“The Karate 1-Premier League Tokyo (this past weekend) was an exciting event. It was very well organised and it was a huge success, with the arena completely full on the last day. It demonstrated what Karate may offer during the Games,” said WKF General Secretary Toshihisa Nagura. “We really appreciate that Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee chose Nippon Budokan as the venue of the Karate competition for the Games. Nippon Budokan hosted the first-ever Karate World Championships in 1970. It means that half of century later, the history of Karate will go full circle with the Olympic debut of the sport in the same location. For us, it is a dream come true,” added the WKF General Secretary.