admin
Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Karate Federation (ZNKF) is now looking at kick starting their programmes after they were recently granted provisional affiliation by the World Karate Federation (WKF).
ZNKF was formed last year and the move was necessitated by the need for semi-contact members to comply with the WKF statues that prohibit their affiliates from mixing semi-contact and full contact karate.
And the local federation have since been given provisional affiliation to the karate world body.
“It is my pleasure to inform you that the WKF Executive Committee has granted the provisional affiliation as WKF National Federation for Zimbabwe to the Zimbabwe National Karate Federation as of 7th April 2021 with immediate effect.
“Kindly note that the above decision may be presented for affiliation of the WKF Congress at its next meeting, according to the WKF Statutes.
“In the meantime, you will be bound to the rights and obligations of any WKF members, as per the WKF statutes,” read the letter by WKF president Antonio Espinós.
ZNKF president Joe Rugwete said this means they can now participate in regional, continental and international events.
“Our recent attainment of WKF membership will allow us to participate in the regional, continental, and international events…As it were, we were only able to focus on the local events.
“We were always confident that we would be successful in our endeavours because we consulted the WKF before we resigned from the ZKU (Zimbabwe Karate Union) to form the ZNKF,” said Rugwete.
ZNKF have since applied for affiliation with the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee, and have managed to secure a partnership with OK Zimbabwe Limited and AfricaBet, who have already played a huge role in ensuring that they paid affiliation fees to the WKF and to the regional body.
“We now focus on getting our sport back to where it is supposed to be. We are aware of the huge task ahead, coming from a lockdown, which saw inactivity for more than a year. But as usual, we will do our best to ensure that our athletes are afforded opportunities to showcase their talent locally, regionally, continentally and internationally,” Rugwete said.
Online Reporter