The Executive Committee of the African Karate Federation (UFAK) held a meeting in Tunis, Tunisia, on the eve of the 2024 UFAK Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships. The meeting was chaired by World Karate Federation (WKF) President Antonio Espinós and UFAK President Souleymane Gaye.

The primary agenda of the session was to review the state of karate across the African continent and to make strategic decisions aimed at maximizing the sport’s ongoing development in the continent. As karate continues to grow in popularity in Africa, the committee focused on addressing the key challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

WKF President Antonio Espinós said after the meeting:  

“The growth of karate in Africa is truly remarkable, and much of this success is due to the hard work and dedication of UFAK President Souleymane Gaye. He has been instrumental in elevating the structure and professionalism of the organization.”

“While the progress of karate in Africa is clearly remarkable, many actions still need to be taken to reach the desired heights for our sport on the continent. For that, the cooperation of all the members of the African Karate community is essential. I am sure that with unity and hard work, Karate will continue maximising opportunities for progress in Africa.”

In addition to assessing the sport’s progress, the committee used the meeting to prepare for the upcoming UFAK Congress and to review the final preparations for the highly anticipated UFAK Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships, which will take place in Tunisia.

(Top picture: from left to right: President of UFAK Region West 1 Cheikh Condé (Guinea), President UFAK Region West 2 Oumar Yugo (Burkina Faso), UFAK 4th Vice President Sonny Pillay (South Africa), UFAK President Souleymane Gaye (Senegal), WKF President Antonio Espinos, WKF Vice President and UFAK 1st Vice President Bechir Chérif (Tunisia), WKF Executive Committee Member and UFAK Executive Committee member Mohamed Al Dahraoui (Egypt), UFAK 3rd Vice President Sayed Nasr (Egypt), UFAK General Secretary Madani Ba (Mali), Tunisia Karate Federation President Hassan Korbi (Tunisia)

The UFAK Executive Committee met in Tunis to highlight the progress of Karate in Africa.