Exclusive: WKF President hits out at IOC and Paris 2024 after karate’s Olympic snub

Karate Olympic representation 2021

CONTINENTAL REPRESENTATION 

Kalvis kalnins to Tokyo 2020

About postponement of the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai

Since the decision of postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games were announced, we have been exploring the possibility of holding the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai in May 2021 as originally scheduled up until today, with the assumption that the situation of the new Coronavirus infectious disease to be under control.

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.

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.

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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

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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.”

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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.

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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.
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Bach acknowledges Tokyo 2020 would be cancelled if not held in 2021

By Michael Pavitt
Thomas Bach has acknowledged that Tokyo 2020 would be cancelled should the Olympic Games not be held in 2021, while the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President confirmed that different scenarios are being considered over the potential impact of coronavirus on the postponed event.

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