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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Karate Union (ZKU) could face disciplinary action from the World Karate Federation (WKF) for continuing to operate in breach of the global governing’s body statutes.
The WKF revised its statues in 2018 and prohibited affiliates from mixing semi-contact and full contact karate.
However, ZKU continues to administer both semi and full contact karate in breach of WKF rules.
The WKF expects affiliates to practice only semi-contact karate.
Article 5.15 of the WKF constitution states that: “National Federations are prohibited from being affiliated with any karate organisation not recognised by WKF. Affiliates are also prohibited from having any sporting relationships with such non-recognised organisations or with any suspended WKF National Federation. Non-compliance with this prohibition would give rise to disciplinary sanctions. Illegal double affiliation would constitute just grounds for disaffiliation from WKF.”
A legal expert said there might be a need to create separate administrations for semi-contact and full contact karate.
“In my opinion, there can be no other feasible remedy to the situation except to unbundle the ZKU and create two new separate associations that will operate autonomously from one another. This situation is not novel nor is it unique to the ZKU,” said the lawyer.
“Faced with an identical predicament, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee made a positive decision to split the WKF affiliated styles from the full contact styles in April of 2013. They have been operating in that format ever since and it has been a resounding success. There is no reason that very same model cannot have a similar result in Zimbabwe.”
ZKU president Sensei Joe Rugwete said it was important for the association to avoid expulsion from the WKF.
“During this lockdown I have taken time to catch up with karate regionally, continentally and globally. I have been going through the new (2018) constitution of the World Karate Federation and realised there were new clauses, which were probably inspired by the fact that the World Karate Federation finally won its two decade fight to be included in the Olympics,” said Rugwete.
He acknowledged that they found themselves in a tricky situation that may lead to expulsion from WKF and spoke of the need to come up with the best course of action to wriggle out and to avoid expulsion.
Zimbabwe will be excluded from the Zone 6 Games, African Games, Olympics and World Championships if ZKU is thrown out of the WKF. — @innocentskizoe.
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