__________________________________________________________________________________________

Provisional WKF calendar 2021

WKF Ranking Commission has update the WKF Ranking Rules

Following the Covid-19 outbreak and its significant impact on the sporting activites – thus also the WKF ranking, the WKF Ranking Commission has worked on the necessary updates of the WKF Ranking Rules, already approved by the WKF EC. The implementation of these rules has now been done and you can find the complete updated version here, together with the FAQ document.

Karate 1 Premier League Moscow postponed 2020

The World Karate Federation regrets to inform that the 2020 Karate 1-Premier League Moscow has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The World Karate Federation regrets to inform that the 2020 Karate 1-Premier League Moscow has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The event was scheduled to be held in the Russian capital from October 2 to 4. However, the situation caused by the COVID-19 outbreak and the progress of the epidemic around the world does not provide the required guarantees for the celebration of the event with the adequate safety measures for fans, athletes, and staff members. Therefore, the tournament has been postponed to take place in Moscow by the end of the year.

The health and well-being of the athletes and all other participants are the top priorities of the WKF. Karate’s international governing body will continue monitoring the situation to ensure the best conditions for all the parties involved.

The Karate 1-Premier League Moscow was the last event of the year in Karate’s first-class series of international events. After the celebration of the tournaments in Paris (France), Dubai (UAE) and Salzburg (Austria), the competitions in Rabat (Morocco) and Madrid (Spain) had to be cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak. The event in Moscow is now postponed to a date yet to be confirmed.

Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games postponed until 2026

The 2022 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar have been pushed back by four years to 2026, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced.

Amid widespread disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, IOC President Thomas Bach said the organisation had mutually agreed to postpone the first Olympic event to be held in Africa following a request from Senegal President Macky Sall.

The decision was approved by the IOC Executive Board during its latest remote meeting today and will be given the green light by the Session on Friday (July 17).

The IOC said the postponement results from the “large scale of the operational challenges which the IOC, the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the International Federations (IFs) are facing following the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020”.

Bach claimed the Senegalese capital hosting the Games “would have meant we would have had to organise five Games in three years”.

“This really was too heavy workload for everybody,” Bach added.

In a statement, the IOC said postponing Dakar 2022 “allows the IOC, the NOCs and the IFs to better plan their activities, which have been strongly affected by the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, by the subsequent postponements of major international sports events, and by the operational and financial consequences of the global health crisis”.

Dakar 2022 had been awarded the event in 2018 and the IOC was keen to stress the significance of it being the first Olympic event to take place in Africa.

Preparations for the Youth Olympic Games appeared to hit problems in January as the Senegalese Government had not released the required funding.

Moving the event to 2026 means it is now set to take place in the same year as the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Bach admitted the IOC had “not had time” to relay the decision to postpone Dakar 2022 to the countries who had expressed varying degrees of interest in staging the 2026 Youth Games.

Colombia, India, Russia and Thailand had all entered into discussions with the IOC’s Future Host Commission, which identifies and recommends potential venues for Olympic events, over hosting the Games in 2026.

Bach said the four nations would be in a “privileged position” for 2030 and that he was “sure they will understand the situation”.

“I would like to reiterate that the IOC has my full support for the organisation of the Youth Olympic Games, postponed to 2026,” Sall said.

“I take this opportunity to reaffirm my confidence in the Executive Board and welcome the commitment of its teams, working side by side with us, to make Dakar 2026, the first Olympic event in Africa, a successful and memorable occasion.

Inside the games

p
Senegal and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have mutually agreed to postpone the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2022 to 2026.

President Macky Sall’s proposal was welcomed by IOC President Thomas Bach, following in-depth discussions on the subject. This postponement meets the requirement of responsibility and the concern for efficiency imposed by current circumstances.

The postponement of Dakar 2022 allows the IOC, the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the International Federations (IFs) to better plan their activities, which have been strongly affected by the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, by the subsequent postponements of major international sports events, and by the operational and financial consequences of the global health crisis.

At the same time, it allows Senegal to carry on the excellent preparations for the Youth Olympic Games. The two leaders, who praised the progress made so far, have jointly renewed their confidence in Dakar 2022 President Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, IOC Member in Senegal, and both remain fully committed to the great success of these Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event ever to be organised in Africa.

The IOC and Senegal understand that this news will be disappointing for many young athletes. Both parties can only appeal to their understanding. This agreement results from the large scale of the operational challenges which the IOC, the NOCs and the IFs are facing following the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. With this in mind, the IOC will continue to offer all IFs and NOC Continental Associations the full content of the educational programmes of the Youth Olympic Games. This will allow for the objectives of this very important and much-appreciated component of the YOG to be maintained through the many events organised between now and 2026, in particular during the Continental Youth Games.

“This amicable agreement illustrates the mutual trust between Senegal and the IOC. I would like to express my sincere thanks to President Macky Sall, a great friend and supporter of the Olympic Movement, for this exceptional relationship of trust and quality. For all these reasons, I am sure that, together, we will organise fantastic Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 for Senegal, the entire African continent and all the young athletes of the world,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.

“I would like to reiterate that the IOC has my full support for the organisation of the Youth Olympic Games, postponed to 2026. I take this opportunity to reaffirm my confidence in the Executive Board and welcome the commitment of its teams, working side by side with us, to make Dakar 2026, the first Olympic event in Africa, a successful and memorable occasion”, said President Macky Sall.

The agreement was approved today by the IOC Executive Board, and will be submitted to the IOC Session for ratification this Friday, 17 July 2020.

Olympic.org

Latest updates to the 2020 WKF Calendar

We would like to inform you about the latest updates to the 2020 WKF Calendar, with the necessary cancellation of events due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

June-July 2020 / WKF Youth Camp & Youth League in Porec, Croatia: CANCELLED
Despite the proposal to postpone the event for a later date, the activities foreseen in Porec have now been cancelled for this year 2020 as the current circumstances still do not make the organization of this event possible.

September 2020 / Karate 1 – Youth League in Monterrey, Mexico: CANCELLED
November 2020 / FISU World University Karate Championships in Brasilia, Brazil: CANCELLED by the International University Sports Federation (FISU)

WKF

Postpone the next edition of the World Championships to 2021.

The Executive Committee of the World Karate Federation met Monday via videoconference to streamline the roadmap of the organisation amid the current challenging circumstances caused by the global pandemic of coronavirus.

The Executive Committee of the World Karate Federation met Monday via videoconference to streamline the roadmap of the organisation amid the current challenging circumstances caused by the global pandemic of coronavirus.

Far-reaching decisions were taken in the meeting which was chaired by WKF President Antonio Espinós. The Executive Committee decided to postpone the next edition of the World Championships to 2021. Karate’s biggest event, which had been scheduled to be held later this year in Dubai (UAE) will take place in the same venue in November 2021 due to the uncertain situation produced by the COVID-19 epidemic. WKF’s governing body agreed to reschedule the tournament in order to guarantee the well-being and safety of athletes, staff members and fans. Consequently, the WKF Congress which was planned to be held in Dubai in November will also be postponed to 2021.

The current status of the 2020 competition calendar was reviewed after the cancellation of the last events, while the tentative proposal for the 2021 and 2022 calendars was revised.

The effects of the coronavirus pandemic were also analysed. The Executive Committee approved a health and safety protocol to adapt the sport to the new conditions caused by COVID-19. This protocol aims at providing a set of guidelines for national federations and clubs to ensure the best environment for the practise of the sport amid the after-effects of the global pandemic. The new health and safety protocol will be published shortly.

Updates on the progress of the Karate competition at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2022 were presented. The reorganisation of the Referee Commission and amendments to the ranking regulations as proposed by the WKF Ranking Commission were discussed. Additionally, the prospects of organising the WKF Youth Camp later this year were also addressed.

Karate’s governing body took time to honour the memory of WKF Executive Committee member William Millerson who passed away on Saturday.

“The Karate family is doing incredible work to make the best of these difficult times. We are looking forward to continuing maximising the many values of our beloved sport, and we hope that we can keep on celebrating the outstanding effects of our discipline in society. While the moment of going back to normal arrives, I am sure that the Karate world will continue to be united and working in the same direction, as we have demonstrated in the past months,” said WKF President Antonio Espinós.

WKF News

The 25th edition of the Karate World Championships will be held in November 2021. The World Karate Federation decided to postpone the biggest event of the sport due to the uncertain situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

The 25th edition of the Karate World Championships will be held in November 2021. The World Karate Federation decided to postpone the biggest event of the sport due to the uncertain situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

After much consideration and analysis, the Executive Committee of the World Karate Federation approved Monday the postponement of the next Karate World Championships. The 25th edition of the global event had been scheduled for November 17-22, 2020; the championships will be now celebrated from November 16 to 21, 2021.

Following intense negotiations and discussion with the local organisers and the local authorities, Karate’s managing body decided to reschedule the upcoming World Championships as the well-being and safety of competitors and fans could not be ensured amid the ongoing epidemic of COVID-19.

“It has not been an easy decision, but an event of the magnitude and relevance of our World Championships could not be celebrated with enough guarantees as scheduled, due to current circumstances. It is the first time in the 50 years of history of our World Championships that we will not celebrate one edition of our biggest event in its running season. However, I am sure that the tournament in 2021 will continue the outstanding progress of our World Championships, and that a new and thrilling chapter of our history will be written next year in Dubai” said WKF President Antonio Espinós.

The decision to postpone the 25th World Championships to 2021 implies that the 12th World Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships which were scheduled to take place in 2021 in Turkey move now to 2022. Subsequently, the 2022 World Championships in Hungary are transferred to 2023, thus relocating the Senior World Championships to odd years and the World underage Championships to even years. The upcoming edition of WKF General Congress which had been slated for November 2020 in Dubai will take place next year in the Emirate city on the eve of the 2021 World Championships.

“I want to thank the Karate Federation of the UAE and its president Major General Nasser Alrazooqi for their cooperation in these difficult times. With their hard work and commitment, I am convinced that the event next year will be a huge success,” added Espinós.

The last edition of the Karate World Championships was held in Madrid (Spain) in 2018. Nearly 1200 athletes from 131 countries took part in the event in a record-breaking tally of participation in the most anticipated event of the sport.

Tokyo 2020 chief says Olympic Games will be simplified after postponement

Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshiro Muto has said the rescheduled Olympics will be a “simplified Games” with the official claiming 200 ideas are being considered on how to achieve this and reduce costs.

Tokyo 2020 presented to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board virtually today, with the meeting billed as outlining its positioning, principles for re-planning, and a roadmap to the Games in 2021.

Read more

Positioning, principles and roadmap to the Games following postponement

MORI Yoshiro, Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee President and MUTO Toshiro, Tokyo 2020 CEO at a press conference in Tokyo, 10 June 2020

Read more

Final decision on Tokyo 2020 to be made in spring, senior IOC official claims

A final decision on whether the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games can go ahead will be made “in the spring” if questions over the coronavirus crisis persist, according to high-ranking International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant.

The Belgian claimed in an interview with L’Avenir newspaper that he was confident the Games would take place and played down suggestions over the event being staged behind closed doors.

Beckers-Vieujant, the head of the Belgian Olympic Committee, also echoed comments from International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach that Tokyo 2020 would be cancelled if it cannot be held in 2021.

He said it would be “unthinkable to keep such a project on the go for any longer considering the enormous costs and all the thousands of people involved”.

“We are convinced that the Games will take place in 2021 or they won’t take place,” Beckers-Vieujant, chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for Paris 2024, said.

“All the sporting federations have to adapt to the Games’ postponement.

“We can’t envisage a similar upheaval a second time.”

Read the full article. inside the games

Reaction to Tokyo 2020 qualification system

German karate chief understands mixed reaction to revised Tokyo 2020 qualification system
German Karate Federation (DKV) President Wolfgang Weigert has admitted he feels sorry for athletes who may be forced to re-qualify for Tokyo 2020, but claimed the revised system was fair to all competitors.

The World Karate Federation (WKF) announced its updated qualification process for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games last week.
It supersedes the previous process, under which 40 karatekas secured their spot at the Games.
Weigert, a vice-president of the WKF, said “two hearts beat in my chest” regarding the impact of the revised system on German karatekas.
World champion Jonathan Horne was among the qualifiers in the men’s over-84 kilograms kumite division, but he will now have to re-secure his Olympic berth.

Read more

Japan to “redo” Olympic qualification for Tokyo 2020 in two karate divisions
Two Japanese karatekas are set to be forced to rebook their places at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics after the World Karate Federation (WKF) revised its qualification process for the Games.
According to Kyodo News, a senior official at the Japan Karate Federation (JKF) said the organisation would “redo” Olympic qualification in two kumite categories following the announcement from the WKF.
Masao Kagawa, chairman of the JKF Development Committee, said the men’s under-67 kilograms and women’s under-61kg divisions would be affected.
It means Naoto Sago, who qualified in the under-67kg class, and women’s under-61kg athlete Mayumi Someya will have to qualify again for Tokyo 2020, postponed until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Both had been selected for the Japanese team after events which contributed to Tokyo 2020 qualifying were cancelled.
Read more