MAJOR NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT
2021 WUKF World Karate Championships

The World Union of Karate-Do Federations (WUKF) is delighted to announce the 9th WUKF World Karate Championships for All Ages will be held in the City of Cluj-Napoca (Romania) over 15th to 18th July 2021.

The championships will be held in the magnificent BT Arena which has a capacity of 10,000 spectators. The latest WUKF event is the biggest in the world with thousands of athletes, spectators, coach and officials set to experience the warm hospitality and friendship that Cluj-Napoca has to offer.

WUKF World President, Dr Liviu Crisan said:

“It is an honour to welcome the WUKF family back to Cluj-Napoca once again for this major event. This year has been difficult for the entire Karate community and we hope this event will bring hope and optimism. We await you all.”

#WUKF #worldkarate

Congratulation to our Public Relations Officer, Mr Roy O’Kane, who has been honoured by becoming a fellow of the prestigious Royal Society of Arts (RSA).

Roy joins around 29,000 fellows globally including notable fellows such as Dame Judi Dench, Bob Dylan and Tim Berners-Lee; former fellows of the RSA include Marie Curie, Stephen Hawking, Charles Dickens and Benjamin Franklin.

Founded in 1754, the RSA aims to promote creativity across the industry and develop collaborative networks to formulate innovative new ideas and help society flourish.

Roy has dedicated 25 years to Karate and promotion of its values and he organised the 2018 WUKF World Karate Championships in Scotland.

Fellows of the Royal Society (FRSA) are elected by a panel of existing fellows who consider the nominee’s merits, creativity and alignment with the society’s ambitions.

The FRSA is an award granted to people who have made outstanding achievements to social progress and development. It recognises the contributions of individuals from across the world who have made significant contributions relating to the Arts, Manufacture and Commerce.

The Slovak Federation of Karate & Martial Arts have been developing their Karate further by organising a series of online sessions with renowned Master Tsuguo Sakumoto from Okinawa.

Sakumoto Sensei is a multiple times world champion and has consistently produced top level athletes and next generation champions through his training. He is the leading instructor of the Ryuei-Ryu style and has been training for over 60 years.

The sessions have taken place online and ensured that Slovakian athletes have been able to access top level tuition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sakumoto Sensei praised the international cooperation and the standards within the Slovak Federation of Karate & Martial Arts.

WUKF in the Arabian area has been very busy during the lockdown period, making use of online technology to facilitate development. We have the pleasure to announce that we organised a fantastic course with Sensei Jo Mirza, the WUKF Vice president.

The course was about the technical side of kata. The meeting had 100 participants from 12 countries. The aim of this activity in the Arab area is to increase the level of knowledge amongst different karate groups in the region. WUKF is very strong in this region with future activities in the planning.

The participants and the organisers would like to thank Dr. Liviu Crisan and Sensei Roberto Perri for their support.

Prof. Essam Shreif
Deputy of the Wukf President in Africa & Arab countries

European Week of Sport 2019 #BEACTIVE

Representatives of the World Union of Karate-Do Federations (WUKF) and the European Union of Karate-Do Federations (EUKF) were present in Brussels this weekend as part of the 2019 European Week of Sport. WUKF/EUKF Officials were guest participants in the EurEthICS ETSIA Event, which was held in the CIE European Interinstitutional Centre. The event was hosted by Alan Wells MBE, Honorary Ambassador to the European Week of Sport and accreditation was presented to our members from across the continent under the European Qualification Framework (EQF). The work of EurEthICS ETSIA and the EQF is fully supported by the European Commission and recognised by other institutions.

The weekend consisted of technical seminars, presentations and tailored programmes covering sport, health, culture, regulations and sports management. Commenting on the accreditation, WUKF World President Dr. Liviu Crisan said: "We are delighted that we are representing our organisation at heart of European Sport. Accreditation at the highest level is open to all of our members in Europe."

EurEthICS ETSIA President, Mr Giovanni Gordiani, said: "We are excited to build and extend this partnership with WUKF and the EUKF in line with the #BEACTIVE mission. Excellence in sport for all abilities is very important and we are delighted to award these international qualifications."

Media Release: Visit to Bratislava

WUKF World President Liviu Crisan and Referee Commission President Sever Cucu visited Bratislava last weekend in advance of the 8th WUKF World Championships for All Ages and 1st WUKF World Championships in Kobudo.

Host organiser Daniel Baran from the Slovak Federation of Karate and Martial Arts joined the WUKF delegation in meetings with:

Deputy Prime Minister - Mr Richard Rasi
Mayor of Bratislava - Mr Matus Vallo
Chairman of Bratislava Region - Mr Jurag Droba

This was followed by visits to the Arena, Official Hotels and interviews with national media outlets. WUKF Official, Marcel Beldean, also conducted table official training with members of the Slovak Federation.

The meetings were very positive as Bratislava looks forward to hosting the biggest event in WUKF history.

WUKF World President, Mr Liviu Crisan said: "It was a pleasure to visit Bratislava and see at first hand, the preparations for June. These championships will be another milestone for WUKF as we celebrate our history and our future.

"Our team in Slovakia are hard at work to deliver a fantastic showcase to demonstrate WUKF Karate and Kobudo at its very best. I look forward to welcoming athletes from across the globe for the biggest event in our history."

Commenting on the visit, Mr Daniel Baran said: "Our team at the Slovak Federation of Karate and Martial Arts are working incredibly hard to make the 8th WUKF World Karate Championships & 1st World Championships in Kobudo a success.

"Preparations will continue over the coming months and we look forward to welcoming the WUKF family from every part of the world to Bratislava in June."

#WUKF #WUKF2019 #bratislava #slovakia #karate #kobudo #martialarts

Release: WUKF Asia Continental Championships
Kolata, Indian
18th to 20th January 2019

The World Union of Karate-Do Federations (WUKF) were present in Kolkata for the Asia Intercontinental Championships over 18th to 20th January, hosted by the Bengal Sports Karate Association (BSKA). The event attracted athletes and teams from across the Asia region. The event was held to develop WUKF in Asia and provide a platform for future expansion.

The following WUKF Officers were in attendance:

• Mr Liviu Crisan, President
• Mr Roberto Perri, General Secretary
• Mr Florin Bota, Director of Events
• Mr Radu Munteanu Jr, Councillor
• Mr Roy O’Kane, Public Relations Officer
• Mr Azad Kumar, WUKF World Chief Referee

The event also included free Technical Seminars for participants, instructed by Sensei Joszef Drosca from Federation of Romania WUKF Karate and Sensei Roy O’Kane from Kanzen Karate Scotland.

A WUKF Referee Seminar was also held and led by Mr Azad Kumar, featuring referees from several countries.

The WUKF Asia Congress was held with the election of a new committee of Rajat Chakraborty (President), Mahaguru Palaniapen (1st Vice President), Wijemanna L.R.S.K (2nd Vice President) and Muthusamy Ramathas (General Secretary).

Commenting at the end of the event, WUKF World President Liviu Crisan said: "It was a pleasure for WUKF to be in Kolkata for this competition. With the election of a new Continental Committee for Asia, we look forward to developing and enhancing WUKF across the continent."

WUKF Director of Events Florin Bota said: “The championships were a positive start to our development in the Asia Region. We are already looking at future events to ensure our members have access to high level competition."