Antonio Espinós re-elected as WKF President

 

 

 

WKF STRUCTURE

Antonio Espinós re-elected as WKF President

2022-

Antonio Espinós re-elected as WKF President
Antonio Espinós Ortueta today was re-elected as President of the World Karate Federation at the WKF Congress being held in Konya (Turkiye). “Over the last years, we have taken Karate to unimaginable heights. Now it is time to continue working tirelessly to elevate Karate even more so to make our sport one of the most popular and beloved disciplines in the world,” Mr Espinós said.

Head of the WKF since 1998, Mr Espinós stood unopposed for re-election, and he received unanimous support from the Karate community to continue leading the organisation for a six-year term.

94 delegates out of a total of 99 representatives with voting rights approved the re-election of Mr Espinós by secret vote thus designating the Spaniard as the WKF President for the period 2022-2028.

Antonio Espinós said:

“It is an honour to have received such strong support from the WKF Congress to continue heading the organisation for six more years. The past 24 years have been a privilege and it makes me extremely proud to see how far we have come. We have revolutionised our sport; we have accomplished tremendous achievements with unity, harmony, and respect for our traditions.”

“I am ready to continue devoting my commitment to the progress of Karate. As long as I have the support from the National Federations and the Executive Committee, I will have the energy and the strength to keep on working for Karate.”

 

Under his pioneering leadership, Karate has reached unprecedented worldwide growth. Historic milestones have been achieved during his two decades heading the organisation, such as the Olympic debut of the sport at the Olympic Games of 2021, Karate’s inclusion in the programmes of the Youth Olympic Games of Buenos Aires 2018 and Dakar 2026, and the global popularisation of the sport among many others.

“Karate is now a universal, modern, and exceptional sport. We have many successes to celebrate but we have many more milestones still to accomplish. By continuing to work together as one united family we can perpetuate Karate’s legacy and its status as the live-changing discipline that it is now. Karate is for life,” Espinós added.

A civil engineer by trade, Antonio Espinós was a former national Karate athlete and is a 6th-dan Karate black belt. Mr Espinós was the President of the Spanish Karate Federation from 1984 to 1996 and heads the European Karate Federation since 1997. He has received many recognitions for his trajectory in the sport, including Spain’s Gold Royal Order of Sporting Merit, Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, and the World Fair Play Trophy, among many others.

kaynak:https://www.wkf.net/news-center-new/antonio-espinos-re-elected-as-wkf-president/2052