WKF and EKF President Antonio Espinós was in Croatia this past week to participate in the 46th edition of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) General Assembly. The event that gathers the 50 European National Olympic Committees was held during two days in Zagreb, and it concluded with the election of the new President and the Executive Committee for the 2017-2021 period.

WKF and EKF President Antonio Espinós was in Croatia this past week to participate in the 46th edition of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) General Assembly. The event that gathers the 50 European National Olympic Committees was held during two days in Zagreb, and it concluded with the election of the new President and the Executive Committee for the 2017-2021 period.

Mr. Espinós, who acts as president of the World Karate Federation and the European Karate Federation was accompanied at the General Assembly by the EKF General Secretary Stjepan Celan. At the event, the head of the WKF and EKF had the opportunity to briefly meet with the IOC President Thomas Bach and the IOC Deputy Director General Pere Miró. 

On top of the agenda of the EOC plenary session was the designation of the new president and Executive Committee for the next term. Janez Kocijančič was unanimously elected as the new President of the European Olympic Committee. Progress reports on the upcoming Minsk 2019 European Games were also presented at the meeting. 

Karate will be one of the 15 sports featured in the second edition of the European Games to be held in Minsk (Belarus) in 2019. The addition of Karate to the programme of Minsk 2019 represents a new milestone for the sport and it further increases the presence of the ancient modality in the most important sports events. 

(Picture: From left to right: WKF and EKF President Antonio Espinós, EOC President Janez Kocijančič and EKF General Secretary Stjepan Celan)