WKF reelects Espinós as president

On Tuesday Antonio Espinós was reelected as president of the World Karate Federation (WKF), a position he has held since 1998.

He ran unopposed for the position and received near unanimous support for another six-year term. He got 94 out of a possible 99 votes.

“It is an honor to have received such strong support from the WKF Congress to continue heading the organization for six more years. The past 24 years have been a privilege and it makes me extremely proud to see how far we have come. We have revolutionized our sport; we have accomplished tremendous achievements with unity, harmony, and respect for our traditions,” he said.

“I am ready to continue devoting my commitment to the progress of Karate. As long as I have the support from the National Federations and the Executive Committee, I will have the energy and the strength to keep on working for karate.”

Karate made its Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020, but was not included in the Paris 2024 program or the provisional one for LA28. The sport will be a part of the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar 2026, just like it was in Buenos Aires 2018.

“Karate is now a universal, modern, and exceptional sport. We have many successes to celebrate but we have many more milestones still to accomplish. By continuing to work together as one united family we can perpetuate karate’s legacy and its status as the live-changing discipline that it is now. Karate is for life,” Espinós added.

Espinós is a former national karate athlete and is a 6th-dan karate black belt.