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Safe return of Karate amongst items discussed in second meeting with national federations

2020-08-31

Safe return of Karate amongst items discussed in second meeting with national federations

National federations from Asia and Oceania gathered today to meet with WKF President Antonio Espinós via videoconference in the second day of meetings with representatives of Karate national organisations. 

National federations from Asia and Oceania gathered today to meet with WKF President Antonio Espinós via videoconference in the second day of meetings with representatives of Karate national organisations.

After the meeting with European national federations on Friday, Asian and Oceanian countries took the stage today to discuss the situation of Karate and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in their territories. Representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Chinese Taipei, DPR Korea, Fiji Islands, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Nauru, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and United Arab Emirates, as well as WKF General Secretary Toshihisa Nagura, joined the discussions.

The resumption of Karate activities and updates to the competition calendar were discussed while the revision and evaluation of the current uncertainties surrounding the pandemic were also analysed.

"We will continue to monitor the worldwide response to the pandemic and the effects of the outbreak in all our national federations. When we have confidence that competitions can be held again with the utmost consideration to the wellbeing of our athletes and fans, we will be ready to continue taking Karate to new heights,” said WKF President Antonio Espinós.

The WKF President highlighted the importance of working with national sports authorities to help promote the sport in their respective countries. Mr Espinós welcomed the feedback from all the participants at the meeting and appreciated the initiatives being taken to continue keeping Karate athletes active and engaged.

“As WKF President, I want to make a special mention to the invaluable contribution of the AKF. The Asian Karate Federation brings great value to the Karate world, and I am very pleased to attest the great progress of the sport in the Asian continent in the last months. I am very thankful for the outstanding work that the AKF is doing under the new leadership of President Nasser Alrazooqi and I am confident that Asian countries will continue being a fantastic asset for the development of our sport” added Mr Espinós.