The World Karate Federation is pleased to know that Karate will be one of the nine sports of the core programme of the 2023 and 2025 editions of the ANOC World Beach Games.

The decision was ratified recently and follows the agreement that the WKF and ANOC signed in Tokyo (Japan) during the Olympic Games. WKF President Antonio Espinós and ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg met in Tokyo to discuss future collaboration plans and to streamline joint cooperation projects between the two organisations.

In the meeting, the WKF expressed its enthusiasm for further extending the partnership with ANOC and for contributing to the success of ANOC’s programmes, including the ANOC World Beach Games.

“We have ANOC as one of our main partners and we were very pleased to welcome Ms Gunilla Lindberg at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo during Karate’s Olympic event to discuss the next steps in our association. The ratification of our collaboration agreement in Tokyo only comes to attest that the WKF and ANOC have common goals and mutual interests to continue sharing the many values of sport,” said WKF President Antonio Espinós.

WKF President Antonio Espinós and ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg signed a cooperation agreement in Tokyo. 

“As one of the sports of the inaugural ANOC World Beach Games in Doha 2019, we are extremely pleased and honoured to have been added as one of the core sports for the 2023 and 2025 editions. We hope to continue giving a great added value to the thrilling multi-sport event and I am sure that all Karate fans will enjoy the excitement and fantastic sporting spirit of Karate at the beach,” added Mr Espinós.

Karate, with its modality of Kata, made its debut in the sport programme of the ANOC World Beach Games in the inaugural edition which was held in Qatar in 2019. Now, ANOC announced that Karate-Kata will remain in the core sports programme for the 2023 and 2025 editions. The nine sports on the core programme are Open Water Swimming 5km & Beach Water Polo, Beach Soccer, Beach Handball, Karate –Kata, Kite Foil (Sailing), Beach Tennis, Aquathlon, Beach Volleyball 4×4, and Beach Wrestling.

(Top picture: WKF President Antonio Espinós (left) and ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg)

From left to right WKF CEO Sara Wolff, WKF President Antonio Espinós, ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg, and ANOC Services Manager Gustavo Harada.