WKF President Antonio Espinós participated in the meeting of Japan’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for the promotion of Karate in Tokyo where the progress of the discipline was analysed and new initiatives to continue raising the profile of the sport were discussed. 

WKF President Antonio Espinós participated in the meeting of Japan’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for the promotion of Karate in Tokyo. The progress of the discipline was analysed and new initiatives to continue raising the profile of the sport were discussed at the high-profile meeting. 

The All-Party Parliamentary Group is a transversal political body composed by 110 members of Japan’s National Diet, the bicameral main governing body of the country which is formed by a lower house, or House of Representatives, and an upper house, or House of Councillors. The All-Party Parliamentary Group hosts representatives from both houses and was created to endorse the inclusion of Karate in the sports programme of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, among other purposes. 

As Karate is facing new challenges, including the addition to the programme of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the group met in Tokyo to find new ways to maximise the upcoming opportunities into the future. 

The gathering was headed by the Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan and Chairman of the Group Yoshihide Suga. Mr Suga congratulated the WKF President for the Order of the Rising Sun which Mr Espinós received the previous day in Tokyo. WKF General Secretary Toshihisa Nagura and the president of the Japanese Karatedo Federation Takashi Sasakawa, among other Karate officials, were also in attendance. 

“Karate is reaching unprecedented heights; all the contributions to the progress of our sport are extremely valuable. The support and efforts of the group chaired by Mr Yoshihide Suga are crucial to achieving our goals and to further paving the way to our bright future. With their help, we are convinced that we will succeed in our main objective of seeing Karate included in the Olympic Games Paris 2024,” said WKF President Antonio Espinós.