The 2018 Karate World Championships are regarded as the most successful event of its kind according to the World Karate Federation. The tournament was held at WiZink Center sports hall in Madrid (Spain) from November 6 to 11 and ended in a momentous celebration of the sport. 

The 2018 Karate World Championships are regarded as the most successful event of its kind according to the World Karate Federation. The tournament was held at WiZink Center sports hall in Madrid (Spain) from November 6 to 11 and ended in a momentous celebration of the sport. 

“From the record-breaking number of participants to the memorable sporting showcase on the tatamis, all the elements of the 2018 Karate World Championships lead us to the same conclusion: this event was one of the most outstanding landmark moments in the history of our sport. The Karate World Championships will never be the same after the great success of the tournament in Madrid,” said WKF President Antonio Espinós. 

“This accomplishment is due to the fact that the 2018 Karate World Championships are the last event of its kind before the debut of our sport in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and the competition that attributes a bigger number of points to the Olympic standings,” explained the head of Karate’s international governing body. 

The 24th edition of the Karate World Championships introduced impressive sport demonstrations on the tatamis. Sandra Sanchez of Spain with her outstanding victory in Female Kata at home, Dorota Banaszczyk from Poland after surprisingly taking gold in Female Kumite -55kg, and Steven Da Costa of France taking the flag of the powerhouse nation of the sport of the podium in a sensational demonstration of abilities in the final of Male Kumite -67kg were among the big heroes of the event. 

Karatekas from no less than 27 ries and four continents took home the medals of the competition in a showcase of the universality of the sport. Japan with ten medals and four golds and Iran with seven medals and two golds topped the medal table of the event. 

After the successful edition of the World Championships in Madrid, Karate’s biggest event heads to Dubai (UAE) the 25th Karate World Championships will be held in 2020. 

“The World Championships in Madrid have been an iconic and historic event for Karate. The outstanding development of our sport has been clearly stated here. I am sure that all that we experienced during this memorable week in Madrid is just a sign of all the great things still to come for us in the near future,” added WKF President Antonio Espinós.