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21/11/2012

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 ITKF Press Conference for the Karate Olympic Recognition

 

 

 

Published on November 21, 2012

 

For the International Traditional Karate Federation and the Traditional Karate Federation of Poland

 

WELCOME THE WORLDWIDE PRESS CONFERENCE

 

of 21 November 2012 (Wednesday), at Inter-Continental Hotel in Warsaw.

 

The meeting will focus on the conduct of the traditional karate controversial among Olympic disciplines around which is in dispute between the authorities of International Traditional Karate Federation and the International Olympic Committee for years.

 

The conference will be attended by representatives of the International (ITKF) and European Traditional Karate Federation (ETKF), and representatives of karate communities and traditional karate from four continents: Europe, North America, South America and Africa:

-         Richard Jorgensen (Canada) - President ITKF

-          Vladimir Jorga (Serbia) - President ETKF, the representative of Europe on behalf of ITK

-          Wlodzimierz Kwiecinski (Poland) - President of the Traditional Karate Federation of Poland, and Vice President ITKF and ETKF

-          Ibrahim El Marhomy (Egypt) - President of the Egyptian Traditional Karate Federation and the Confederation of African Traditional Karate, representatives of Africa on behalf of ITKF

-          Fernando Obregon (Mexico) - President of the Inter-American Traditional Karate Federation, the representative of North and South America on behalf of ITKF

-          Guest: Imtiaz Abdulla (South Africa) - Former Vice President of the World Karate Federation (World Karate Federation - WKF) WKF representative in the Joint Committee Working ITKF / WKF (Joint Working Committee ITKF / WKF) as approved by the IOC, which has developed guidelines to unite karate unification Constitution document, which document was ignored by the IOC.

 

Support for the ITKF has been the President of Poland, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa, who sent in this case an official letter to IOC President Jacques Rogge.

Their support also promised the Minister of Sport and Tourism Joanna Mucha. Details will be provided at the conference.

 

The decision on the recognition of karate by the International Olympic Committee was taken at 101 IOC Session held in Monte Carlo in 1993. It was then established that in karate are two distinct disciplines, namely “general karate” andtraditional karate” and decided to create a common organization of the two existing groups in the world of karate. The new organization - the “World Karate Federation” (WKF) was formed from the merger of two organizations WUKO (World Union of Karate Organizations) and ITKF (International Traditional Karate Federation). The combination of these groups was a necessary condition to obtain recognition by the IOC. During the 101 session also defines two disciplines: "The Karate: all sports activities managed by the WKF”, any activity in the WKF, which were previously controlled by ITKF will be referred to as traditional karate."

 

Both ITKF and WUKO accepted legal solutions developed by the IOC. Both organizations also have delegated  its committees to the Joint Working Committee, which dealt with the development of specific rules. The final draft of the common Statute approved and signed on October 15, 1996 year. The only thing left for the final unification was the ratification of the draft statute of the two organizations. ITKF ratified it in November 1996 and is awaiting ratification by the WUKO. Meanwhile, in December 1997 IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch on the eve of departure from his post unexpectedly took sole decision whether to grant WUKO, which changed its name to the name of the "World Federation of Karate" (World Karate Federation).

 

The conditions laid down by the 101 session of the International Olympic Committee - which is the highest organ of the IOC and its decisions are final and irrevocable - were never completed, and the process of unification of “general karate” and “traditional karate” not yet been completed. The current IOC authorities - despite repeated intervention by ITKF - support the unjust and unilateral decisions by President Samaranch.

 

Karate is the most popular sport worldwide willingly practiced both by children, adolescents and adults. The Traditional Karate Federation of Poland has over 200 clubs and centers of traditional karate throughout Poland. These clubs are affiliated to the approximately 30,000 people who are actively practicing. The representatives of our country are for many years among the forefront of the world of karate, winning numerous medals at the championships events in Europe and the world. Since 1992, the Polish team in karate won a total of 426 medals in World and European Championships, and as much as 147 times were the medals and titles.

 

Worldwide the karate practitioners are waiting the Olympic Recognition of their popular sport, because it is something that they deserve and IOC owes to this magnificent sport.