World Karate Congress Held with Iranian Representative Present

The World Karate Federation congress was held in Poland with representatives from more than 90 countries and Masoud Rahnama, president of the Iran Karate Federation, in attendance.

According to Ambassador Arjan and quoted by Karate Federation Public Relations, more than 90 countries gathered at the 2026 Congress of the World Karate Federation (WKF), which was held on October 13 at the same time as the World Junior, Youth and Under 21 World Championships in Bilsko Biala. Masoud Rahnama, the head of Karate Federation of our country, was also present in this meeting. During this meeting, the progress of karate around the world was reviewed, important and influential issues on this discipline were discussed, and new members of the executive committee of the World Karate Federation were elected.

In this congress, the representatives of national federations discussed the development of karate, reviewed the activities of the world federation and set priorities for the coming years.

Selection of new members of the executive committee of the World Karate Federation

One of the most important axes of the agenda of the Congress was the selection of new members of the Executive Committee of the World Karate Federation. Members were elected by majority vote and through electronic voting.

The names of the elected members according to the continental confederations are as follows:

Ibrahim Al-Ghanas (Saudi Arabia)

Nasser Al-Ruzouqi (United Arab Emirates)

Mohammad Al-Rostam Tun Sri Setia (Malaysia)

Michael Dinsdale (Great Britain)

Oceania Karate Federation (OKF)

Pan American Karate Federation (PKF)

Jose Garcia Manion (Argentina)

Union of African Karate Federations (UFAK)

The Congress also unanimously approved the appointment of Jose Antonio Mendez from Puerto Rico as an honorary member of the Executive Committee. This decision was taken in recognition of his services in the executive committee of the World Karate Federation during the years 1994 to 2026.

Examining administrative-financial and sports issues

In this meeting, the most important administrative, financial and sports priorities of the World Karate Federation were reviewed. The representatives reviewed the reports of the head of the general secretary and the treasurer of the federation, which included the audited financial statements of 2024 and 2025 and the proposed budgets of 2026 and 2027.

Also, amendments to the constitution of the World Karate Federation, which were previously approved by the executive committee, were voted on.

Reports related to the 2026 Junior, Youth and Under 21 World Championship competitions were also presented in Bilsko Biala, Sports Commissioner, Athletes Commission and Communications.

Other topics discussed include the 2027 sports calendar, the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, the social heritage program and innovative projects.

The Congress also reviewed the Karate World Cup competitions in Hangzhou, received a report on the 2027 World Karate Federation Youth Camp in Porec, Croatia, and discussed the future of karate, its Olympic prospects and its continued development worldwide.

Confirming the host of important competitions in 2027 and 2028

The World Karate Federation Congress has confirmed the host cities of four major international events for 2027 and 2028:

Karate World Championship 2027 - Qualifying stage: Tangier, Morocco

Karate World Championship 2027 - Final stage: Milan-Bergamo, Italy

Junior, Youth and Under 21 World Championship 2028: Guadalajara, Mexico

Karate World Cup 2028: Tokyo, Japan

The emphasis of the head of the World Federation on the progress of karate

Antonio Espinos, the president of the World Karate Federation, thanked the representatives of the national federations and the big family of karate for their presence in the congress and continuous efforts for the development of this discipline.

He said: I would like to thank all members of the karate family who participated in today's congress. Our unity is one of our greatest strengths and the progress we have made in recent times has been remarkable.

Increasing the popularity of karate, raising the level of holding events and developing business activities are among our most important achievements. These results are the result of the collective effort of all members of the karate community and provide us with a solid foundation to continue our progress.

The 2026 Congress of the World Karate Federation in Bilsko Biala once again emphasized the commitment of the international karate community to the development of this discipline, strengthening cooperation between federations and preparing the ground for the next stage of karate's global growth.