Security enhanced in new under-age category

15-06-2017

Due to the increasing expansion of Karate among youngsters and the greater-than-ever number of young practitioners of the sport, the World Karate Federation decided to create a new under-age category. Now karatekas under 14 year-old can also participate in WKF major international competitions for minors. The most relevant aspect of the new division is the enhanced use of protections.

The main concern of Karate’s international governing body is to protect its younger competitors and ensure the total security of practitioners in competitions. With this idea in mind, it is required that competitors of the new under-age category to use specifically created protections to add up to those protections of general use in all categories.

These specific protections are the WKF Facemask and WKF Children Chest Protector. The WKF Children Chest Protector replaces the habitual body protector and it guarantees the safety of young competitors’ upper body. This protection is of compulsory use in under 14 categories.

Meanwhile, the WKF Facemask’s unique design protects the contestant´s nose, cheekbones and eyebrows from uncontrolled impacts during the bout and its use is compulsory in under 14 categories.

The main WKF event for under-age categories is the WKF Youth Training Camp & Karate 1 Youth World Cup, which this year will be held in Croatia from June 26 to July 2.