PKF CONGRESS SETS ROADMAP FOR PROGRESS OF KARATE IN AMERICA

The Pan American (PKF) Karate Federation celebrated its annual Congress in Panama on the eve of the XXXIII edition of the PKF Karate Championships which were held in the central American country. The gathering of representatives of Pan American national federations was headed by WKF President Antonio Espinós. 

No less than 26 national federations participated in the 2019 PKF Congress in Panama. Karate’s stakeholders in the region decided to re-elect Jose Garcia Maañon as the president of the Pan American Karate Federation for a new six-year term. The Argentina-natural who is also WKF 1st Vice-President has headed the continental federation since 2013 and will continue leading the organisation until 2025.

The PKF Congress also decided the venues of the upcoming continental championships. Following this resolution, the 2020 PKF Senior Karate Championships will be held in San Jose (Costa Rica) while the 2020 PKF Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships will take place in Monterrey (Mexico). The 2021 PKF Senior Karate Championships will go to Curacao as the 2021 PKF Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships will be held in Florida (USA). 

“The progress of Karate in Pan America is crucial in our intentions of further taking our sport to new levels. We are committed to working alongside all our 37 national federations here to maximise our opportunities in the region,” said WKF President Antonio Espinós. 

“We are going through difficult times, with the decision of the Organising Committee of Paris 2024 to exclude Karate from the list of additional sports for the Olympic Games 2024. However, we are convinced that only by sharing our ideas, our experience and our resources can we truly achieve our goals and succeed,” added Mr Espinós.  

Source: wkf.net