A WKF delegation visited the IOC headquarters in Lausanne on the 28th of July to meet its President Mr. Thomas Bach, who was accompanied by the IOC Sports Director Mr. Kit McConnell.

A WKF delegation visited the IOC headquarters in Lausanne on the 28th of July to meet its President Mr. Thomas Bach, who was accompanied by the IOC Sports Director Mr. Kit McConnell. The WKF delegation was composed by the WKF President Mr. Antonio Espinós, accompanied by Mr. Takashi Sasagawa, President of the Japan Karate Federation (JKF), Mr. Toshihisa Nagura, member of the WKF Executive Committee, and Mr. Wolfgang Weigert, President of the German Karate Federation. The meeting was rather cordial, and Mr. Sasagawa had the opportunity to explain to the IOC President the intense activity that the JKF is developing in Japan with Tokyo 2020 and the Japanese Olympic Committee; also Mr. Weigert explained to Mr. Bach the big expectations that the WKF and the whole world of Karate have in the next World Championships of Bremen (Germany) next November, which are every 2 years the top event for the 188 National Federation members that the WKF has in the 5 Continents.

At this occasion, Mr. Espinós also seized the opportunity to thank Mr. Bach for the recognition and continued support from the IOC to the work that the WKF performs for karate development worldwide. Beyond this, he expressed to the IOC President the renewed enthusiasm and determination of the entire WKF family, who remain committed to their goal of placing karate among the sports in the Olympic Program in a near future.