WFK boss salutes Zimbabwe

Tendai Chara

Zimpapers Sports Hub

WORLD Karate Federation president Antonio Espinós has commended Zimbabwe for the country’s capacity to host major international sporting events.

Espinos, who arrived from Madrid, Spain has had the opportunity to sample some of the facilities in the country on the sidelines of the Guardian Girls Karate Programme, which he launched in Harare on Wednesday.

He was in the company of Zimbabwe National Karate Federation president Joe Rugwete.

In a rare gesture of approval, the seemingly enchanted Espinos was also deeply impressed and delighted by the friendly, welcoming and kind treatment that his entourage received during their four-day stay.

“For us, this is our first time in Zimbabwe. Personally, I was impressed by the country’s hospitality and by the Zimbabwe National Karate Federation’s ability to smoothly run an international event,” Espinos said.

He also heaped praises on Rugwete.

“Rugwete is a solid and competent administrator Zimbabwe and the whole of the Southern African region is going to benefit from his leadership skills,” Espino said.

The WFK boss and his entourage were yesterday treated to a farewell reception at the residence of the Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Shinichi Yamanaka in Harare.

Espinos later left the country after the function but there was no doubting he was happy man.

The WKF president, who left the country for Spain yesterday launched a karate training programme whose long-term goal is to empower girls in the fight against gender-based violence.

Participants were drawn from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique.

Espinos also used the function to make an important announcement, which will go a long way in developing local karate and benefit the local tourism sector.

“I would want to use this platform to announce to the world that a major international youth competition will be held in Harare in March 2026.”

“We were impressed by Zimbabwe’s capability to host major tournaments and also by the hospitality of its people,” Espinos said amid wild applause from the audience.

According to Espinos, more than 500 karatekas from the Southern African region are set to participate.

Souleymane Gaye, the president of the Union of African Karate Federations said the two-day event ran smoothly.

“The event was very well organised. The Zimbabwe National Karate Federation and the World Karate Federation are lucky to have somebody like Joe Rugwete,” Gaye, who hails from Senegal, said.

For Rugwete, time to prepare for the youth tournament is almost running out.

“We only have four months to prepare for the international youth tournament. After soaking ourselves in the compliments, it is time for us to go back to the drawing board,” he said.

The ZNKF boss who is also the president of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Karate Federation knows the significance of putting on a five-star show for Zimbabwe’s image and for sport tourism in the country.