WKF President Antonio Espinós travelled to Algeria this past week to participate in high-profile meetings with major stakeholders of the region. Mr Espinós met with the President of the Association of African National Olympic Committees and Algeria National Olympic Committee President Mustapha Berraf; Algeria’s Minister of Sports and Youth Raouf Bernaoui, and Algeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sabri Boukadoum to discuss the future of the sport in Africa. 

WKF President Antonio Espinós travelled to Algeria this past week to participate in high-profile meetings with major stakeholders of the region. Mr Espinós discussed the future of the sport in Africa with the President of the Association of African National Olympic Committees and Algeria National Olympic Committee President Mustapha Berraf; Algeria’s Minister of Sports and Youth Raouf Bernaoui, and Algeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sabri Boukadoum. 

The development of Karate in the continent and the Olympic prospects of the sport were among the main topics of the agenda of the meeting with the President of the Association of African National Olympic Committees Mustapha Berraf. WKF President was welcomed by Mr Berraf in Algeria as the international governing body of the sport continues highlighting the crucial role of African Karate in the many challenges ahead for the discipline. 

“It was a pleasure to meet Mr Berraf in Algeria. Our sport has proved to be a valuable asset in the expansion of the Olympic movement in Africa. We hope that we can continue giving added value to the progress of the Olympic principles not only in Africa but all over the world. It was very encouraging to attest that we can further cooperate with Mr Berraf to achieve our common goals,” said WKF President Antonio Espinós. 

With Karate’s popularity growing in Algeria and in many countries in Africa, WKF President visited the headquarters of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Sports and Youth, where meetings with Ministers Sabri Boukadoum and Raouf Bernaoui took place. Projects to extend the expansion of the sport in the region were discussed and initiatives to further develop structures and major events were also outlined. 

Mr Espinós headed the Karate delegation that also had the participation of UFAK President Mohamed Tahar Mesbahi, Algerian Karate Federation President Slimane Mesdoui and UFAK Zone 1 President Yassine Arab among others.

“Karate is a popular discipline all over the world, but it is in Africa where the popularity of the sport has grown more exponentially in the last years. We will continue working to ensure that we can contribute as much as possible to the progress of these regions through the influence and values of a modality as honourable as Karate,” added WKF President.

(Picture: WKF President Antonio Espinós (right) and the President of the Association of African National Olympic Committees and Algeria National Olympic Committee President Mustapha Berraf)