WKF's statement on the Conflict in Ukraine

Following the consultations with the different WKF stakeholders and the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Karate’s decision-making body today announced the provisional suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from all WKF events until further notice.

This resolution is taken after thorough exchanges with the WKF Athletes Commission and the WKF National Federations.

Aimed at preserving the integrity of competitions and ensuring the safety of all the participants, the ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials was decided today and will be effective immediately. These exceptional measures will be under constant evaluation as the WKF will continue to closely monitor the situation in Ukraine.

WKF President Antonio Espinós said:

“The Karate family is united in solidarity with everyone impacted by these terrible events. While we have no desire to penalise any athlete or official who has been affected by this war, our intention is to protect the whole Karate community as we keep the Karate values of respect, integrity, and honour at heart.

“Since we do not have international events scheduled in the near future, we committed ourselves to carefully reviewing all the different perspectives and positions to make the right decision in the best interest of our sport. We took the necessary steps to have the full support of the majority of the Karate community on this delicate issue.”

On behalf of the Karate family, the WKF hopes that peace will be restored as soon as possible.