Over a thousand young Karatekas are looking forward to participating in the big event of the year for under age Karate, the 2016 WKF Youth Camp & Karate 1 Youth Cup to be held next week in Umag (Croatia).

Over a thousand young Karatekas are looking forward to participating in the big event of the year for under age Karate: the 2016 WKF Youth Camp & Karate 1 Youth Cup to be held next week in Umag (Croatia). While the hopeful participants are counting the days to live an unforgettable experience, one of the most experienced and successful voices of Karate reflects on the magnitude of this event.

“The camp has become extremely important for Karate, as hundreds of young Karatekas from all over the world have the possibility to know one another, interact, make friends and practise the sport in sessions being taught by the best athletes and trainers of the last generations,” said Karate legend Davide Benetello.

The former World champion is one of the six first-class instructors who will provide youngsters with valuable experiences and top-level knowledge to help them continue their progress in the sport. In addition to Davide Benetello, the 2016 Youth Camp and Cup will be headlined by Karate heroes such as Douglas Brose, Rafael Aghayev, Luca Valdesi, Rika Usami and Predrag Stojadinov.

“This year the WKF and the Croatian Federation have truly exceeded in managing to bring in Umag over 1000 athletes and the best possible instructors of the world,” commented the three-time European Champion.

Unique opportunity

For the young Karatekas travelling to the coastal city in Istria the WKF Youth Camp and Youth Cup represents a unique opportunity to share their enthusiasm for the sport while improving their techniques with some of their idols. Organisers, instructors, coaches and authorities of the sport are confident that the future Karate stars will go back home with a baggage full of memorable moments.

“The best lesson that every participant in WKF Youth Camp will take home is that they will have the chance to train and learn some of the little secrets of the greatest champions, as well as having the opportunity to meet other athletes from 60 different nations,” commented Benetello, who is the chairman of the WKF Athletes Commission. In his case, the Italian star has plenty of lessons to pass on, like his passion for the sport. Benetello described his first days in Karate as “a mix of emotions that made me fall in love with all that I was learning every day.”

With three medals in World Championships and 14 medals in European Championships under his belt, Davide Benetello will also try to transmit some of the expertise and competitive nature that made him world champion in 1994, among many other honours. “All my sporting career has always been focused in the extreme respect of my opponent and of the rules while trying to show a spectacular Karate,” commented the member of the WKF Executive Committee.

"Dive in Karate with your heart and soul"

As a thousand young Karatekas will be in Umag celebrating the sport, hundreds of thousands youngsters will continue to showcase the many benefits of Karate at early ages in dojos around the world. Many more are even considering to start wearing the karategi for the first time; for those youngsters, the Italian star has a message:

“To young people who are thinking about practising Karate I tell you: dive with your heart and soul into a world that will make you grow in all aspects of your life. To start practising Karate will be one of the most adult and greatest decisions you can make, “ said the Jesolo-born former World champion.

If that were not enough, Benetello has even more incentives to take on Karate. “With the decision of the Executive Committee of the IOC to support the proposal to include Karate in the Olympic programme of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, now you, young Karateka may have the chance to compete on the Olympic tatami!”

While that moment arrives, Karate legends and participants in Umag alike can’t wait for the start of the event to capture the attention of the world of Karate next week.