The 2024 EKF Senior Karate Championships in Zadar, Croatia, brought together the best karate teams from across Europe, with an added incentive: qualification for the World Team Championships in Pamplona, Spain, later this year.

The team competition has long been one of the most thrilling events in karate, with entire countries rallying behind their athletes as they fight not only for medals but also for the honour of raising their nation's flag at the top of the podium.

Since the splitting of the World Senior Championships into individual and team competitions, the significance of the team categories has grown exponentially. Athletes now focus on achieving victory for their respective teams, adding an extra layer of intensity to the matches. According to the qualification rules, the top five ranked teams (the four medallists and the fifth-placed team losing to the gold medallist) in each category at the EKF Championships earn their ticket to Pamplona, raising the stakes even higher.

The Male Team Kata final in Zadar will feature Spain against Turkiye, two of Europe's karate powerhouses. While Spain is qualified for Pamplona 2025 as the host country, and Turkiye earned the ticket to the world event after finishing in the second position at the last edition of the World Championships, the bronze medal matches in Zadar will see France take on Italy and Azerbaijan face Montenegro.

Team Greece celebrated a historic qualification to the final of #KarateZadar2024 


Meanwhile, In the Female Team Kata final, Spain will face off against Italy. Spain, as the host, and Italy as the World Championships runner-up have both earned the ticket to Pamplona. The bronze medal matches will feature the Czech Republic against Turkiye and Serbia versus France.

The Team Kumite competitions took the spotlight on day 3 with a thrilling celebration of the values of Karate. In the Male Team Kumite, Greece and Italy emerged as the finalists after hard-fought battles in the earlier rounds. With Italy already qualified for their bronze medal at the World Championships, and the bronze medal matches yet to be decided, the list of the semi-finalists in Zadar is completed with Slovakia and Turkiye.  

In the Female Team Kumite, the competition was intense as teams battled for a spot in the final. Italy and Germany will clash for the gold medal in Zadar and earn the tickets to Pamplona, with France and Italy completing the list of semi-finalists.

As the EKF Senior Karate Championships continue in Zadar, the excitement builds around the team competition. With qualification for the World Team Championships on the line, each match carries added significance, and the athletes are sure to deliver memorable performances.

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