Karate unified under one governing body

The representative organisations of karate have unanimously agreed to join together as one unified governing body, to be called Karate England.

The unification of the English Karate Governing Body, the English Traditional Karate Board and the National Association of Karate & Martial Art Schools will enable the sport to work more effectively towards increasing grassroots participation and greater international success.

The move has been welcomed by Sport England, whose chief executive, Roger Draper, said: “This is another positive step forward in the modernisation of sport and will help to ensure that all people involved in karate are working together in the drive to boost participation and success to maximum effect.”

The next step for Karate England is to appoint a chief executive and board to lead the governing body through the transition process and onto implementation of karate’s Whole Sport Plan.