Kielce won the right to host the World Karate Championships in 2017. The event was originally scheduled to take place in 2021, but was postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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– I’m glad the championship was delayed, but it came to fruition. Winning a medal in these competitions will be very difficult, because the best players from all over the world have come to Kielce – said Kenji Midori, president of the WKO World Karate Organization at the press conference on Friday.
– I am very happy that our efforts to award this championship to Poland have been crowned with success. The organization of this event is a success of our wonderful team, including The Ministry of Sports, who oversaw our work. I am sure that the championship will be a great promotion of karate – added Remigiusz Karpiński, president of the Polish Karate Federation Shinkyokushinkai.
Deputy Sports Minister Anna Krupka pointed out that for the first time an event of this rank in this sports discipline was held in Poland. – More than 1,200 guests from all over the world came to the capital of the Świętokrzyskie region. Among them are the best players of this sports discipline. That’s why the championship is a great promotion for Kielce, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship and Poland – Krupka underlined.
The chairman of the organizing committee, Tomasz Kęcko, assured that everything was organizationally “buttoned up to the last button”.
– It will be a real party in this sport. It will be an exciting competition, because the best karate players in the world came to us, they were selected in 10 qualifying tournaments – said Kęcko.
The best karateka in the world will compete in eight weight categories (men up to 65 kg, 75 kg, 85 kg and +85 kg, and women up to 50 kg, 55 kg, 60 kg and + 60 kg).
– All our players are well prepared, but the homie will show how it will be. It’s hard to talk about medals right now because the bar has been set very high. Karatec players, who will start in Kielce, are among the best in the world. I hope we will win some medals – said Polish national team coach Bogdan Lubos.
According to him, Maciej Mazur and Monika Zielińska have the best medal chances in the Polish team. Mazur, who will start in the Kielce championship in the +85 kg category, is the vice-world champion in the open category from 2019.
– I approach my medal chances with great distance. More than 30 competitors will start in my weight category. Victory in every fight will have to be snatched. No one will get anything for free. Therefore, a lot of humility and maximum commitment in battles, we will see what the effect will be – underlined Mazur.
Zielińska is a double European champion. – I don’t want to put extra pressure on myself. I’m going to have fun and do my best, that’s the most important thing for me. I’m not thinking about the medal at the moment, I’m focusing on the first fight – said Zielińska.
On Saturday there will be qualifying fights, on Sunday those who will decide the medals in the individual categories. 178 competitors from 40 countries around the world will take part in the 7th Karate World Championships in weight categories.
JŻ, PAP
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