Representatives of European National Federations gathered today via video conference to discuss the development of Karate in the continent and the upcoming Karate events in Europe amid the current global pandemic.
The meeting was chaired by EKF and WKF President Antonio Espinós and it was attended by delegates of the National Federations of Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, England, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Northern Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Moldova, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine. Members of the EKF Executive Committee and the chairpersons of the EKF Referee Commission and the EKF Organising Commission, Javier Escalante and Esteban Perez were also present.
The tentative celebration of the upcoming Karate events in Europe was on top of the agenda. With the coronavirus pandemic still spreading in most European countries, discussions were held to guarantee the well-being of all the participants at the two big events in Europe next year: The 2021 EKF Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships to be held in Tampere (Finland) and the 2021 EKF Senior Championships to take place in Gothenburg (Sweden).
After analysing the current situation, the proposal of postponing the 2021 EKF Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships found general support among the national federations attending the meeting. The tournament was initially scheduled for February 12-14; following the recommendations of the local organisers, the message to be submitted to the EKF Executive Committee was to decide the rescheduling of the event to August 2021.
Meanwhile, the situation of the 2021 EKF Senior Championships in Sweden was also analysed. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic in the organisation of the event in terms of the structural and financial aspects was reviewed. Representatives of the National Federations decided to stay on close track of the development of the situation so a final decision can be taken soon and with enough time to search for possible alternatives by the appropriate decision-making bodies. The main message transmitted by the National Federations was that the celebration of the 2021 EKF Senior Championships was of the utmost importance for European Karate, especially considering that the event is included in the Tokyo Olympic Games qualification system.
"I really appreciate the participation and the feedback that we have received from all the National Federations today. Their cooperation and their input are crucial to the progress of the sport in Europe, and I am glad to attest that we all are in the same line," said EKF and WKF President Antonio Espinós.
"We are going through very difficult times, and it is essential that we go in the right direction. The ideas shared today will help us make the right decision for the best of the progress of our sport in Europe," added Mr Espinós.
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