WKF President Antonio Espinós headed the presentation which also had Spanish Karate Federation (RFEK) President Antonio Moreno, the Councillor for Culture and Sport of the Government of Navarra Rebeca Esnaola, and Spanish Karate athletes María Torres and Paola García in attendance.

The Karate representatives were also welcomed at the headquarters of the regional government by the President of the Navarra region, Maria Chivite. The support of the regional administration for the progress of Karate was highlighted at the meeting, as Mrs Chivite thanked the Karate officials for bringing the tournament to Navarra following the success of the Karate 1-Series A in Pamplona last year.

The tournament to be held in Pamplona in 2024 inaugurates a brand-new configuration of Karate’s biggest event. Starting in 2024, the World Senior Championships splits into two competitions, to be held in alternate years: the World Team Championships and the World Individual Championships.

WKF President Antonio Espinós said:

“This new format of World Championships is a milestone for the WKF since the main event of our sport will become much more spectacular and even more appealing to audiences. The competition will have a shorter duration and a streamlined selection process to ensure that the best athletes will fight for the medals. We are convinced that with the new format of the World Championships and the implementation of the WKF’s new strategic plan, our sport will reach new heights. This will contribute to Karate raising its status in the international sports and Olympic ecosystem even more.”

RFEK President Antonio Moreno said:

“The Spanish Federation has made great efforts over the last few years to celebrate major international events in our country and between 2023 and 2024, four tournaments of great global relevance will be held in Spain. The goal is to make Spanish Karate a world reference not only in sports but also in the organization and welcoming of international athletes. The tournament in Pamplona is set to be a landmark event for future competitions of this kind.”

The Councillor for Culture and Sport of the Government of Navarra Rebeca Esnaola said:

“I am very pleased to have, once again, the world’s most important representatives of karate in Navarra. Our commitment to sports is firm. This event will help us give visibility to the whole sporting society, but also to our community. We are dedicated to working hard to make the 2024 World Team Championships a great event.”

The presentation also had World Champion Maria Torres and Junior European champion Paola García representing the athletes. “I am proud that such an important tournament will be held in our country. I hope to get on the podium together with the rest of my teammates,” said Maria Torres while Paola García added: “I am thrilled to represent Spain in such an important competition and to be able to celebrate this event today on a significant date as the International Women’s Day.”

The two athletes also highlighted the new format of World Championships and the separation of Karate’s biggest event into individual and team tournaments. “This separation is highly beneficial for us athletes as it gives us the opportunity to focus more on each competition,” Torres said.